


These gays can't do math

by Lowqualityenglish



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora (She-Ra) Needs a Hug, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anxiety, Catra (She-Ra)-centric, Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gay Panic, Hurt/Comfort, Jock Adora (She-Ra), Kissing, Lesbian Adora (She-Ra), Lesbian Catra (She-Ra), Lesbian Disaster Adora (She-Ra), Panic Attacks, School, Slow Burn, Swearing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:40:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 36,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24670969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lowqualityenglish/pseuds/Lowqualityenglish
Summary: Then, embarrassingly, her mismatched eyes met with the blue of Adora's, she felt her whole body grow hot, and her face blossom with red. How long had she been staring at Adora? Or more importantly, how long had Adora noticed for and not said anything? She wanted to dig her own grave in that moment, crawl into it and hide forever. Yet at the same time, she wanted to stare at those eyes for as long as she could.What the fuck was this feeling?Catra finds out that Adora is going to be moving into in her math class this term, and all they do is flirt. Obliviously.
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 483
Kudos: 1126





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi to everyone that is reading this! If I get any readers lmao  
> This is my first Catradora fanfiction so pls go easy on me! I don't know how long this is going to be but hopefully I can update regularly :P  
> Welp, with that, have fun reading this chapter!

Catra was dreading the rest of the school year. It was early November, and everyone was returning from their two week break. In theory, she should be feeling refreshed, energised or at the very least, happy - but she felt nothing - except maybe a deep sickness weighing in her stomach at the thought of going back. It wasn't like her school was awful; in fact she had made some great friends at her time at Bright Moon. However, despite how kind and forgiving her friends were, she still felt doubt clawing in her mind every time they expressed any affection towards her. It was hard for Catra to accept that these people actually liked and cared for her wellbeing, especially since she didn't believe she deserved any of it. 

She tried not to let herself think too much about that as she walked to school. The last thing she wanted was to end up being forcefully pulled into Scorpia's arms, trying not to cry on her first day back. 

The entrance of the school was up ahead, and needless to say, she was not excited in the least to see it again. Before turning her phone off and shoving it in her pocket, she decided to send Scorpia a quick text to let her know that she'd arrived. Not because she cared about Scorpia or anything, it was just so that she wouldn't worry; or at least, that's what Catra told herself. 

It was really just because Catra wanted to believe that she wasn't becoming soft after spending so much time around Scorpia and Entrapta, who was her other close friend. Plus, she would tell herself anything to make herself feel better.

Before Catra even entered the school building, she saw Scorpia coming towards her at an incredible speed. Her face scrunched up as she braced for impact, when Scorpia brought her into a tight, yet loving hug. It was obvious she didn't completely hate the sensation, because her tail was relaxed, just perking up a little at the end. 

Of course she would never admit that the gesture made her feel some kind of warm fuzzy feeling inside - something Catra had never known before Scorpia - and began to squirm and push away from the nearly suffocating hug. 

"AGH! Scorpia put me down! It's only 8:30 and I think I could MURDER!" Catra threatened. 

But Scorpia being the knowing person she was , didn't fall for Catra's empty threats. She only hugged tighter and ruffled the smaller girl's short brown hair. 

"Aw I missed you too, Wildcat!" 

Catra grimaced at the nickname, but felt forgiving enough to give Scorpia a small smile. This satisfied her enough, and she let Catra go. 

Breathing a sigh of relief, she turned to face the entrance of the school yet again. That was what really made the nerves kick in. Scorpia sensed her body tensing even from a small distance, and put a reassuring arm around her shoulder. 

"Hey, you've got this Catra. If anyone can kick ass at this school, it's you." 

They began to walk together through the double doors, "Well maybe don't actually kick someone's ass, I think that would land you in a lot of trouble with parents and teachers alike… " 

Catra chuckled. Somehow she immediately felt better around Scorpia, and honestly she didn't know how she managed to live the majority of her life alone before they'd met. 

"I'm not making any promises. If someone messes with me, I will not hesitate to touch my feet to their butt. With a lot of force."

With that statement, Entrapta shot out from behind one of the lockers, which scared both Scorpia and Catra out of their skin. 

"Scorpia! Catra! It's great to see you again!" 

She had long, thick purple hair that landed right at her thighs, tied into two ponytails on either side of her head. "I've had so much time to do science over the break! Halloween parties are the best for social experiments!" 

Neither of the two girls dared to ask what Entrapta had found out about the other people at their school. It would be entertaining to hear what the other people in their school had been getting up to, but they both knew the risk of hearing something truly scarring definitely outweighed that by far. 

"Would you like to hear about the results of some of my experiments?" She asked excitedly. 

Upon seeing the frightened looks on the two girls' faces, Entrapta reassured them that she wouldn't tell them anything unpleasant. Catra knew that people should definitely fear Entrapta more than they think. 

"Well I suppose the only thing I know that might be interesting to you…" Entrapta began, "I heard that Adora was moving into your math class, Catra!" 

Catra looked at Entrapta, confused by the statement. "Why would I care that  _ Adora _ of all people is now in my math class? That just means she's almost as dumb as me!" 

"You aren't even in the lowest class!" Entrapta argued, "Besides she's cute… And definitely your type!" 

Immediately, Catra felt herself become flustered and embarrassed. 

"What, you think that just because we're in the same class she will immediately fall in love with me and we'll live happily ever after? Do you even know who you're talking about here?" She raised her arms in the air aggressively to emphasise her point. "Oh yes,  _ Adora _ , captain of the girls' football team, try hard and arguably the most popular girl in the school and me, Catra, a mere loser in comparison, definitely the power couple of the century."

Only afterwards did she realise how self deprecating and sad that sounded, but she couldn't exactly take back what she said. Besides, it wasn't a lie. How could Entrapta possibly think that could ever work? 

Entrapta didn't quite catch on to the sarcasm of Catra's comment, as she declared, "Yes, exactly! I can totally help you two get together!" Before anyone could object, she was off, determined to complete her mission. 

Even Scorpia was stunned at the interaction. They both stood there for a moment, before she turned around to try and comfort Catra. 

"I'm sure everything will work out in the end, you know? If you want Entrapta to stop, I'll let her know. The last thing I want is for you to be uncomfortable, Wildcat." 

This time, the nickname brought her some comfort and reassurance. "Thanks Scorpia. That, uh - it means a lot." 

Catra wasn't quite sure what to say other than that, but for Scorpia, it was more than enough. Her face was stretched into a tooth rotting grin, and her pincers were hovering over her chest. 

"Awww, Catra!" There were almost hearts in her eyes, "Have I ever told you how much I love it when you get sappy?" 

"I AM NOT SAPPY!" She yelled defensively. 

"Whatever you say, Wildcat! Good luck with Adora in your math class!" 

Catra breathed a sigh of relief as Scorpia separated to walk to her own class. Although that relief was short lived, when she realised that her first class was, coincidentally, math. 

"Oh  _ fuck _ ." Catra cursed under her breath as she approached the classroom. 

Entrapta could have done absolutely anything in the time that she left, and Catra was afraid to find out. Not even the Gods could know what she would do. All she could do was remember to take deep breaths as she walked in- a tip she'd learned from Scorpia a long time ago. There was no way she would meet Adora properly for the first time looking like a nervous wreck. 

Not much had changed since the two weeks they had been gone. Hardly any people had arrived yet, mainly because Catra was uncharacteristically early. She usually prided herself on being 'fashionably late' to this class. Quickly, she scanned the room to see who had already arrived, when her eyes set on one girl. Adora. 

Her blonde hair was tied in its typical high ponytail, and it fell around the nape of her neck. She wore a white turtleneck, red jacket, and grey jeans. Catra knew she was attractive, but so did everyone else. She was the epitome of beautiful blue eyed blonde girls. Immediately Catra pushed that thought to the back of her mind. There was no way she would give in that easily; plus there was no way Adora would ever notice her, either. 

She pulled herself away from that thought, which led her to notice something else. Adora looked scared, in a way that felt familiar to Catra. The way she sat, hugging herself, gripping her arms tightly to find any source of comfort. Under the desk, Catra noticed her feet bouncing slightly, restless. Her eyes were fixated on her pencil case, which was in front of her, on the center of her desk. 

Despite how nervous Catra felt in that moment, she couldn't help but feel empathetic for Adora. The way she looked reminded her too much of herself, which she never thought she would ever say about the  _ captain of the football team _ of all people. Catra almost felt guilty for seeing her so vulnerable, as though she was invading Adora's privacy only by staring. 

After realising just how long she'd spent staring, she rushed to find a seat, and panicked. Before she even knew it, she was standing next to Adora, frozen. 

Catra cursed under her breath to compose herself, and pulled a chair out from under the desk, but didn't sit in it. Instead, she hopped onto the table, and used the chair as a footstool. The scene she made caused Adora to loosen her grip on her arms and look up at her, and any nervousness that Catra saw before was gone. Catra's confidence faltered in that moment, only managing to squeak a "Hey, Adora." 

Catra thought that maybe she had just imagined what she saw before, or Adora was just incredibly good at covering up her emotions, she couldn't tell. 

Adora responded with an uncertain "Hey… Uh, Catra?" 

_ Shit. _ Adora knew her name? How was she supposed to prepare herself for this? 

For better or for worse, the rest of the class began to enter, most in clusters of friends, which made her wonder, did Adora actually have no friends in this class? This reignited a confident spark, and Catra decided to reluctantly move off the desk - mainly because the teacher would have her head if she was caught - but also so she could claim her place next to Adora. Was this how Entrapta felt when she was studying her experiments? Because Catra had never been more curious to get to know her than she did in that moment. 

Then, embarrassingly, her mismatched eyes met with the blue of Adora's, she felt her whole body grow hot, and her face blossom with red. How long had she been staring at Adora? Or more importantly, how long had Adora noticed for and not said anything? She wanted to dig her own grave in that moment, crawl into it and hide forever. Yet at the same time, she wanted to stare at those eyes for as long as she could. 

What the  _ fuck _ was this feeling?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited 11th July,, just some wording changes n stuff so it reads better 👌🏻


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo, chapter twooo!! I just wanted to warn you guys that there is a clear description of a panic attack in the middle of this chapter, it's about three italic paragraphs, so feel free to skip that bit if it will trigger you in any way :P

Before Catra could embarrass herself anymore, she tore her eyes away from Adora's undeniably pretty face. Pretending to be invested in finding her math textbook in her backpack, she noticed Adora smirking at her. Adora. Was smirking. At catra.   


  


_ What was her problem?  _

  


She slammed her textbook down on her desk, with much more force than she intended. Gods, she was so frustrated. Her tail was slightly fluffed from how flustered she felt - how would she ever survive sitting next to her for a full hour? Despite how hard she tried to resist what she was feeling, she couldn't deny that maybe, she wanted to get to know Adora better. 

  


_ As a friend. _ She told herself.  _ Nothing more.  _

  


The class quieted down as their teacher arrived, and she definitely did not look thrilled to be back. She wasn't the only one. Catra couldn't care less about what they were learning that day, and instead decided to let her mind wander, thinking about anything that wasn't math. 

  


Her teacher had been droning on for what seemed like forever about stupid triangles and pythagoras' theorem when Catra finally decided to listen again. She couldn't stand this subject - it required far more brain power and logic than she could handle. It was bad enough before, but now she had other things plaguing her mind, like Adora's stupid smirk. It felt like her body was bending over backwards just to not look at Adora.  _ Don't look at her. _

  


She looked at Adora. 

  


Luckily for her, the quick glance went unnoticed by the blonde girl, as she was too focused on her work. Typical smart, try hard Adora. Fuck. She let herself get distracted again. There was no way she was going to let her have control over her like that; she had only been in this class for half an hour at most. In her mind, Catra put all of her frustrations on Adora. 

  


_ I hate her. _ She thought.  _ Coming into this class, so entitled and full of herself, who does she think she is? If Adora thinks she can control me that easily, she has another thing coming.  _

  


With that thought, she decided to actually get some work done. Besides, Scorpia would be upset with her if she didn't try at least a little bit on the first day back. Glancing over her shoulder, she tried to determine how far ahead Adora was, but clearly the whole of etheria was against her today. 

  


"Catra! Keep your eyes on your own work!" 

  


She felt her teacher's death stare even without looking up.  _ I wasn't even cheating! _ Gods, she hated math so much. It didn't help that her teacher was awful; she considered Catra a nuisance, a hopeless child with no chance in life. Her teacher was Mrs Weaver, infamous for being one of the worst teachers in the entire school. Probably arguably one of the worst teachers in the whole of Bright Moon, and it was a miracle she was even offered a job here in the first place. How someone like  _ her _ became a teacher, Catra had no idea. 

  


If she just worked harder, maybe she could get out of this class for good. That thought was one of the only things that motivated her to get her work done. Maybe Mrs Weaver would like her if she got higher grades, even if that seemed like a practically impossible feat. She hated herself for seeking validation from her math teacher of all people. It would always be in vain, anyway, it was clear from the start that no matter what Catra did, she wouldn't care. Which is why she never turned up on time. But that was also the reason she was only just scraping passes in her exams for this subject. It frustrated her to know that Mrs Weaver could manipulate her like that, it felt as if she had complete control over Catra's emotions. 

  


Staring down at the worksheet in front of her, all the words seemed to jumble together. None of it made any sense to her. Maybe if she had listened to what Mrs Weaver was rambling about in the beginning of the class she would know how to do it, but deep down she knew that wasn't true. Being a terrible teacher meant that she couldn't explain things well to save her life. 

  


Frustratedly, she put her head in her hands and scoffed at the textbook in front of her. 

  


_ Stupid fucking math.  _

  


Adora seemed to notice Catra's obvious vexation towards the work, and offered to help. 

  


"Hey, um, Catra? Are you okay?" the girl began, "I can help you with the work if you want…" Her voice trailed off as Catra glared at her. 

  


She immediately wanted to be defensive, to yell at Adora that she didn't need help from someone like her - It was something Catra did to hide her vulnerability, a fake tough personality she put on so people wouldn't pity her. However, it also made people hate her. Scorpia was one of the only people who saw through that, and was the first to ever help her through it. 

  


Catra remembered all the things Scorpia had said when she first cried in front of her - well unfortunately for Catra, she wasn't just crying; she was having a panic attack. At first she loathed the feeling of being seen like that. She felt small, and so vulnerable, yet at the same time it felt like the whole world had their mocking eyes on her. But Scorpia was patient, and to her surprise, actually understood what was going on. 

  


_ Everything felt so out of her control - Her hands and legs were shaking, heart racing, she couldn't string together a full sentence and her lungs were burning - she thought that this would be it. She would die in the field of her school, her only comfort a gentle pincer running through her hair. Her body was fuelled by overwhelming fear and existential dread.  _ Just thinking about it made her body shudder. __

  


_ "Hey, Wildcat, remember to breathe, ok?" Scorpia half whispered, "Is it ok if I talk? I don't want to make you feel more overwhelmed." _

  


_ She was met with a small nod from the other girl, so she continued, "You know I could never hate you. I know sometimes your mind can say things, but not everything you think is completely true." _

  


_ Catra's breathing began to slow, her body relaxing as she focused on the sound of her friend's voice and the feeling of her hair being brushed. She tried to defend herself, "But I'm not - you know I'm not good-" it was clear she hadn't calmed down enough yet as she began to hyperventilate and talk at the same time, "I've never - never - been good enough for-" she gasped for air yet again; reliving the thoughts made her feel even more scared.  _

  


_ "It's ok. You don't have to explain yourself, I know. You may not believe it now, but I really do care about you, Wildcat. I mean, why else would I be here right now?"  _

  


_ Deep down, Catra knew Scorpia was right. Anyone else would have laughed in her face and left her to cry. Her body felt heavy and exhausted as the adrenaline rush began to fade, but she managed to smile at Scorpia anyway, just to let her know she was okay. Although she couldn't completely believe that anyone could like her, she felt hopeful that one day she would believe it for real.  _

  


_ "Not everyone is always out to get you, and I know, it's hard to believe, but you don't have to push everyone away. If you just trust me, I can help you, and I know you'll feel better."  _

  


Catra sighed. "Fine, you can help me. Just don't treat me like a baby. I will not hesitate to kick your ass if you start to act patronising!" 

  


Adora laughed, and it warmed Catra's insides. Was she actually joking around with Adora? Someone she had only just met? 

  


"Ok well there isn't long left, but we can stay after the class ends to get it done." she smiled at Catra, but then immediately looked away, undoubtedly realising her own feelings for the girl. Catra noticed Adora looking down at her feet, and decided to smirk at her. 

  


_ That's for smirking at me earlier.  _ She thought. This only made Adora more flustered, and Catra found it hilarious.

  


"Etheria to Adora!" She said in a singsong voice, "Are you going to help with this math question or stare at your feet the whole time? I'm pretty sure  _ foot fetishes  _ have nothing to do with math!" 

  


"I do not have a- ugh!" Adora sighed as she reached over for her pen, "Let's just get this over with." 

  


Adora moved to sit closer to Catra so she could write on the girl's sheet. Their arms brushed slightly, and she shuddered, the fuzzy fur on her shoulders stood on end. Even after Adora moved away, she could still feel a tingling sensation where they touched. Overwhelmed with the feeling, she didn't hear Adora talking her way through the question.

  


"...so then you take these numbers and put them into the calculator like- Catra? Are you even paying attention?" 

  


Coming back to reality, she stuttered, "Um- yes?" When she looked up to Adora's face, she saw she was raising her eyebrows at her suspiciously. 

  


"Okay, if you were listening, then try doing this question." Adora pushed the sheet and pen towards Catra and pointed at the problem.

  


She skimmed over the question, hoping that maybe she would be able to bullshit her way through it. But after staring at the sheet and feeling it taunt her for as long as she could, she reluctantly sighed, "Okay, fine, I wasn't listening. Sue me." she looked down at her feet, embarrassed. 

  


To her surprise, Adora wasn't mad. "Look who has the foot fetish now!" the girl taunted. 

  


"Hey!" Catra yelled defensively, "You can't use my own insult against me!" 

  


"Sue me." Adora teased. 

  


"Wha- HEY! You can't just- you can't just do it again!" Catra shoved Adora playfully, no longer worried about getting the work done. Adora shoved back, but harder, clearly intent on winning this shoving-match. 

  


"Oh, you're on." Catra narrowed her eyes and shoved Adora with her whole body, however, clearly underestimating her weight. She ended up in Adora's lap, her heart racing. 

  


Looking up at Adora from her position, she saw her blush profusely, but then she bounced back immediately. "Ha! I think you lost this round. I think you forgot about these bad boys." She flexed her arms on either side but didn't break eye contact with Catra. 

  


_ What kind of game was Adora trying to play??  _

  
  


"Agh!" Catra jumped out of Adora's lap and back into her chair. "Let's just- let's just carry on doing the work ok?" 

  


For the rest of the lesson, Catra couldn't stop the rise of heat in her cheeks. Every time she looked at or spoke to Adora, it only grew warmer, and she didn't know what to do. It frustrated her to no end - Adora's teaching wasn't half bad, and she was actually beginning to understand - but she couldn't bring herself to look at the girl for more than a split second from fear her heart would jump out of her chest. She didn't know what love felt like - maybe she just wanted to be really good friends with Adora? She supposed that was it. 

  


_ She couldn't have been more wrong. _

  


The class finally ended after one excruciatingly long hour, and Catra was just about to close her textbook, when she noticed Adora's handwriting in the bottom corner of the page. 

  


_ HER PHONE NUMBER?! _

  


Catra couldn't believe what she was seeing. Adora - captain of the football team, undoubtedly hot, try hard, gave Catra her number, and not only that, a message which read 'Text me if you ever need help with math again ;)' with a  _ winky face! _ It was tooth-rottingly cute. She pursed her lips together to hide the goofy smile she so desperately wanted to pull. 

  


As Catra left the classroom, she threw Adora one last smirk for good measure. For the first time ever, she couldn't wait for her next math lesson. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank u for reading!! I can't wait to continue this hehehe


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scorpia gives Catra some relationship advice, and she has a very awkward encounter with Adora.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a lot of dialogue, but I just gotta keep the story moving forward, ya know? Also there is a little bit of scorfuma in this one, it's kinda cute. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

At last it was finally lunch, and Catra headed over to the bench that she and Scorpia usually spent their breaks. It was located just outside the main building of the school, where the sunlight hit warmest in the middle of the day. It was also opposite the main field, where many people came to practice sports or run clubs. 

The memories of the lesson she had with Adora earlier were still playing in her mind; just as vivid, even hours later. Over and over, she thought about how she'd ended up in her lap, the heat rising in her cheeks, and best of all - how she actually managed to get her number! For once she let her face fall into a lovestruck grin - it was impossible not to - as much as she resisted it, there was no denying she was absolutely head over heels for this girl. 

"Catra! Hey!" the sound of Scorpia's voice pulled her from her trance. She was met with a curious look. "What's gotten you so happy? Just earlier it looked like you would rather die than be back here!" 

She debated whether or not to retell all the events from this morning's math lesson to Scorpia. On the one hand, she was itching to get it off her chest; all she wanted to do was talk about her, stupid smirk, try hard energy and all. But then again, Scorpia was overzealous in situations like these and there was no length she wouldn't go to ensure that they got together. As much as she hated the idea of telling Scorpia everything she was feeling about this girl and having her dedicate her entire life to the cause, there was no chance she was going to get let off the hook until she did. 

Catra sighed, sitting on the seat opposite Scorpia, pondering where she would even begin. Scorpia had her wide, caring eyes on her, patiently awaiting an explanation. 

"Uhm…" she fumbled with her words, in an attempt to explain herself, "So you know what Entrapta said about Adora moving into my math class?" 

While she ran through the events of that hour, she found herself blushing and looking at her feet every time she said Adora's name; a feeble attempt at trying to hide the rush of blood that flushed her cheeks. It was too soon for Scorpia to know just how much she was pining. 

Was she actually pining for this girl _already_? 

After explaining everything that went down, she fumbled with her hands, waiting for a response from the other girl. It seemed she was speechless, and Catra hated it. Scorpia always had something to say, why would it be any different now? 

"I- wow-" She stammered, clearly struggling to find the right words to say.

Catra grimaced, preparing for the worst, but nothing came. Except-

"I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU CATRA! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU TO HIT IT OFF SO WELL! AND SHE GAVE YOU HER NUMBER! WOW... You two must really have a special bond." 

"A special bond?" Catra questioned, "Scorpia, we've only just met. It's not like I want to run off into the sunset with her and _make out._ Plus we're only friends because she wants to help me with my math work since she came from a higher group." 

Scorpia was clearly disheartened by Catra's excuses. "So what? Doing math work together is the perfect way to spend more time together and get to know each other! Have you got any homework, you should definitely ask her to come over and help you with it tonight!" 

Catra stopped Scorpia at that thought immediately. Adora, coming over to her house? Fat chance. "I hate to break it to you, Scorpia, but I don't think we're ready to have _dates_ at each other's houses." Emphasis on the word dates. 

"What? I never said that it would be a date. Just a chance for you to, you know, find out more about each other! Unless… You _want_ it to be a date?" 

"I- fuck- no, Scorpia I do not want to go on a date with stupid smirk-faced Adora!"

"You didn't seem to think she was so stupid when you were sitting in her lap." 

"Hey! SHUT UP! That was an accident!" 

"Whatever makes you feel better, Wildcat."

Before she could defend herself anymore, or dig herself deeper into a hole she couldn't get out of, she noticed Scorpia look behind her, eyes wide, grinning from ear to ear.

"Don't look behind you Wildcat, there's someone there you might not wanna see." 

"Scorpia, you can't just say that! Now I really want to look! Who is it?" 

Catra didn't give Scorpia the time to answer her question. She whipped her head around to work out who this someone was, and it didn't come as much of a surprise to her when she saw who Scorpia was talking about. 

There, in the middle of the school field was Adora. Her blonde hair was still tied in its typical high ponytail, but instead of her red jacket and white turtleneck combo, she was sporting Bright Moon school football team gear. And fuck - Catra couldn't bring herself to look away. Even from a distance she could see the soft curves and shadows of her muscular arms, and that definition continued all the way down her torso, to her calves. Since when had it become so hot out here? 

It wasn't long before Adora took a glance at her surroundings, her eyes immediately latching on to Catra's. Realising that she had totally been caught red handed, Catra tore her eyes away immediately, and slammed her head down on the table between her and Scorpia. 

"Hey, you ok down there, Wildcat?" 

All she got was a loud groan for a response "Adora… She totally caught me… Checking her out…" 

She didn't actually realise what she had said until Scorpia responded, "You were checking her out?! I need you to be honest here, do you want to be friends with Adora, or do you want something more?" 

Truthfully, Catra wasn't sure. Three hours really wasn't enough time for her to decide if she wanted to have a _girlfriend_. Let alone have _Adora_ be said girlfriend. 

"I-" she faltered immediately. "Scorpia, what does it feel like to have a crush?" 

In all honesty, Catra had no experience dating in her life. It had never been a priority for her, especially since she spent the good majority of her teenage years pushing people away. There would have been no chance of anyone ever getting close to even being her friend, let alone girlfriend. She wasn't sure if she would regret asking Scorpia such a dumb question. Everyone else she knew or heard of had at least some experience with a crush, and had or previously had a relationship with someone. It made her feel as though she was missing out on something crucial in her life, like everyone else was moving ahead with theirs and she was left behind, to try and figure everything out on her own. 

"Well, I wouldn't say I'm the best at relationship advice, but uh, I can tell you what I know from my own experience?"

"Go ahead." 

"Well, when I realised I had a crush on Perfuma - you know Perfuma, she was a part of the gardening club and all that… Anyway, I suppose it all felt a bit magical? That's the only way I can explain it. When we touched, like even by accident, it felt electric. I would forget how to breathe, and my heart felt like it would jump out of my chest - but in a good way, the best way possible. Ah, just thinking about it makes me- I can already feel the butterflies-"

Catra's eyes were open as wide as they could possibly go. Listening to everything Scorpia said, it made her think that maybe, she might have a little bit of a crush on Adora. She knew that Scorpia was a very emotional person, so she was not shocked to see fresh tears streaming down her face. 

"All I wanted to do was hold her, kiss her, listen to her favourite songs, and kiss her more… It was horrible having to work up the courage to ask her out. But I knew that it would be worth it, because then I could finally do all those things! And it worked out, obviously, because it's been nearly a year now… Oh man, I'm so happy for you Catra!"

"Hey, I never said I _actually_ have a crush on her, dummy!" She wouldn't admit it to her, not yet. "I'll try to spend more time with her like you said… And I'll let you know how it goes, okay?" 

That response was more than enough to satisfy Scorpia, and they continued to eat their lunch in peace, talking about things other than girls. That was until, Catra heard the sound of Adora's voice, shouting across the field. 

Shit. She had completely forgotten that Adora was working with the rest of the football team, right behind her. 

"Okay! Just 10 more reps and then we're done! You guys played great today!" 

For better or for worse, Catra turned around to find the source of the voice. There, at the edge of the field Adora stood, chugging from her water bottle. Her body had not changed since she last looked - not that she thought it would - it was still just as toned, except now, it was glistening with a layer of sweat. This only made her already awkward predicament, well, more awkward. 

"Why don't you go over and say hi? I'll still be here, I haven't got anywhere to be until our next lesson," Scorpia suggested. 

"Just go over and say hi? That sounds like a terrible idea." 

"Well, you wanted to get to know her better, yeah? This is the first step! Take initiative! I believe in you Wildcat!" 

She swallowed a gulp and took a deep breath before heading towards the pitch. She didn't look back just to prove that she could do it. 

_Yeah, I can talk to girls! I'm not a completely useless lesbian!_

And there Adora was, right in front of her. Wiping the sweat from her brow and going through some light cool down stretches. 

_I'm not a useless lesbian. I got this._

"Hi, I'm a lesbian." Catra stated. 

_Fuck._

If she ever wanted to die before, that was nothing compared to how much she wanted to now. _"Hi, I'm a lesbian."?!_ What was she thinking? Or more importantly how could she not have thought before she spoke?

Adora looked up from her position mid-stretch, and said, "Yeah, same." 

Was she just messing with her? Or was Adora actually telling the truth? She supposed there was no harm in asking, maybe it would make for an interesting conversation starter? Ah, who was she kidding. This has got to be one of the most awkward conversation starters she has ever had in her life. And she has had many. 

"For real?" she asked, looking anywhere but where Adora was standing. 

"Yeah, I've known since I was 12."

Catra had no idea what to say next, she hadn't prepared this far ahead. Some part of her expected her to just say hi and leave, but clearly that was not happening today. 

"Wow, I uh- I didn't know until recently. You know, I thought I liked boys, or maybe I was broken, I don't know. I think I only just realised today what love feels like-" She realised how much she was rambling and cut herself off. There was no way she was going to tell Adora about how Scorpia explained to her what having a crush was like. 

"Well, everyone grows at their own pace. Don't sweat it. Anyway, I like uh- it was nice seeing you outside of class, Catra! Don't let my phone number collect dust in your textbook!" 

Then she was gone, back to the changing rooms presumably to get ready for afternoon lessons. Catra soon recognised the feeling of butterflies in her stomach, and the heat rising in her cheeks once again. She had a long way to go. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I'm a lesbian.
> 
> This chapter was based off of a lot of personal experience. I was reading through my diaries to remember just how it felt to have a crush on a girl (CRAZY KDJDKJD) , and the im a lesbian thing was an actual conversation that happened between me and my crush from about two and a half years ago LMAO


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra asks Adora to spend her lunch break with her and Scorpia, but is then convinced that she hates her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some more fluff but also ANGST! There is a reference to a panic attack at the end of the chapter, so please be careful if that is something that wlll trigger you!!

Over the next week, Catra had been spending more and more hours with Adora. She hadn't quite had the guts to ask her to come over to her house yet, so she just tried to make the most of the time they spent together in lessons. Which was a lot of time.

  


She had found out through Scorpia, that Entrapta had somehow managed to hack the school system and change Adora's timetable so that Catra had at least one lesson with her every day. Although she was overwhelmed at first - seeing Adora in lessons she knew she never had with her before definitely took her by surprise - it was more of a blessing than a curse for sure. It meant that she got to speak with Adora every day, plus, she didn't have to worry about trying to organise anything outside of school! Honestly, she didn't know how Entrapta did it. 

  


Today was just another day, Catra and Scorpia were both chilling on their usual bench opposite the field for lunch. Today it was particularly cold - the usual for early November - but they still sat outside nonetheless. 

  


"So, Catra, have you decided to ask Adora to hang out with you outside of lessons yet?" 

  


"No…" Catra answered truthfully, "I'm working on it though." 

  


"You are?" she questioned, "Maybe you could ease into it, like, I don't know… You could ask her to eat lunch with you this week! You could make some nice sandwiches… Fruit… and then ask her on a date!" 

  


Catra felt completely repulsed by the idea. "That's basically a date in itself! Plus it's way too soon to ask her out. Although maybe she could come eat lunch with us? I think it would be easier if you were there, too." 

  


"Absolutely, Wildcat! I can't wait! Text her now and say to meet us here at 12:30 tomorrow!"

  


Her hands shook as she typed out the message to Adora. Shamefully, this was the first time she had texted the number that was written in her textbook. 

  


"Does this sound ok, Scorpia? 'Hey Adora, it's Catra. Do you wanna eat lunch together tomorrow? I'll be at the bench opposite the field at half 12 if you're down. :) see ya'" 

  


"Perfect! I don't see any reason why she would say no!" 

  


She hit send. 

  


To her surprise, it was read immediately. Three dots appeared on her phone, signalling that Adora was typing. 

  


'Of course! I'll definitely be there. <3' 

  


"Scorpia, she put a heart at the end of her message. I think I'm going to die." 

  


"REALLY!? That's so great, Catra, you know she is totally into you!" 

  


"You think so? I- not that- It's not that I like her but.. Really?"

  


Scorpia pretended like she believed Catra "Yeah, it's pretty obvious, I'm sure she is also wondering if you like her back, which I'm guessing you don't-" 

  


"No, yeah! I do- don't like her!"

  


"Whatever you say, Wildcat." 

  


****

  


Catra's next lesson was math, which meant more time to catch up with Adora! Not that she was excited to see her or anything. As per usual, she arrived a few minutes early to spend extra time with her - for learning purposes, obviously - and as she strolled towards the door to the classroom, there she was. 

  


"Hey, Catra!" She gave her a small wave and a big smile. 

  


Fuck, she's so cute. 

  


"Hey, Adora," Catra was blushing already, and they hadn't even started the lesson. 

  


"I need to pee, wanna come with?" 

  


In all honesty, she was taken aback by the forwardness of the question, but she didn't refuse. "Sure, why not?"

  


The two girls headed down the stairs, to what Catra thought was the nearest toilets. 

  


"No, come this way," Adora said, "It's more private." 

  


_ More private? What was Adora planning?  _

  


She followed anyway, not daring to ask any questions. 

  


Adora led her out a back door, and round a corner to a different block of the school. The toilets here were almost always empty, particularly because they were never restocked, one would have to bring their own toilet paper, soap and water for them to be worthwhile. She wondered why Adora would take her here, and before math, of all times. 

  


"I can't stand how busy the toilets get before lessons," Adora stated, "It makes my chest feel tight, I don't know why." She laughed, presumably to try and break the thick tension in the air. 

  


"Oh," was all Catra could say, "I know what that feels like." 

  


"You do?" 

  


"Uhm, yeah. Not nice."

She heard Adora try and flush, but only a loud creak came of it, and maybe a small trickle of water. 

  


"Ah fuck," Adora cursed, "Still better than being in a crowded and sweaty toilet." 

  


The girl came out from the cubicle and fumbled around in her backpack for some hand sanitiser.

  


"The taps don't work properly either, it's better than nothing," She joked. 

  


"Yeah you must really have a grudge against those  _ working _ toilets" 

  


"I do! I will fight them - with a sword - if I had one!"

  


"Okay, sword lady, good luck with that." 

  


"I  _ will _ win! Down with the working toilets!" Adora raised her arms up for emphasis. "Ugh I guess we better head off before Mrs Weaver has both of our heads. Maybe I should defeat  _ her _ with my sword." 

  


"I would  _ pay _ you to do that." Catra laughed. She hadn't felt this happy in a long time, and it was nice. Her body felt light, and she almost thought that she could do anything. 

  


"So, you got anything interesting coming up?" Catra asked. She hadn't really gotten to know what Adora did outside of school, other than her role as captain of the football team. 

  


"Well, I have a pretty big game coming up, for football, obviously. We have to win this game to move up next season, so basically everyone is counting on me, being the captain and all. But yeah, no pressure." 

  


"Damn, well I'm sure you'll kick everyone's ass,  _ sword lady _ ." 

  


Adora grinned.  _ Was that a blush Catra saw?  _

  


"I better kick ass. I've been training my butt off recently, my legs are sometimes so stiff I  _ can't move!  _ It's gonna be such a relief when it's over… I just- i really hope I can pull it off." She fumbled nervously with her hands. 

  


Out of reflex, Catra grabbed one hand, and softly circled her thumb over the dorsal side. "Well, you know, if you doubt yourself any more, I will be the one kicking ass. Hint - it will be  _ yours _ ."

  


Adora laughed, and squeezed Catra's hand. Her face soon fell, though. "I guess I'll be getting a lot of kicks in the ass then. I'm not exactly the queen of self confidence…" 

  


Before Catra could respond, she realised that they were already inside their math classroom. She immediately let go of Adora's hand, embarrassed that she had held it for so long. So much for not letting Adora know she liked her. And what was all of that about ' _ not being the queen of self confidence'?  _ Did Adora really  _ not like herself?  _

  


She sighed, placing herself in her seat. What could she do? 

  


*****

  


Finally, lunch the next day rolled around. Adora had been awfully quiet in the lesson they had together that morning, but she assured Catra that she was fine. She wasn't sure if she should believe Adora; she seemed excited to spend their lunch together, so maybe she was okay? Clearly that wasn't quite enough to convince her, because for the rest of that morning she  _ couldn't stop worrying _ . 

  


It was unusual for her to care so much about how someone was feeling. She had grown to care a lot about Adora - like Scorpia, she brought out a soft side of her she hadn't known before. Which was why that lunchtime, she was pacing around the bench, muttering mainly to herself, but also to Scorpia, who was trying her best to console the worried girl. 

  


"I'm sure Adora is fine, Catra, it has only just turned 12:30, maybe she is just late from her last lesson!" 

  


"But it's not like her to be late, Scorpia, she's  _ always _ early for  _ everything! _ " 

  


"I know Catra, maybe just try to relax a bit, pacing around and freaking out will not make you feel better, trust me. Come sit down next to me for a while." 

  


Reluctantly, Catra obliged, sitting herself next to Scorpia on the bench. 

  


"I just - I do care about her a lot, you know? I really wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her." 

  


"I know, Wildcat, I know." 

  


Scorpia tried her very best to distract Catra from her worries but it was all in vain. Every time anyone that wore a red jacket passed, Catra would shoot up, in hope that  _ this time,  _ it would be Adora. But none of them were. 

  


"You have Adora's number, right? Why don't you text her?" 

  


_ Oh yeah! _ How could she have forgotten something so obvious, she could just text Adora and find out where she is! 

  


Pulling her phone from her pocket, she sent Adora a quick message. 

  


'Hey, Adora, you still coming for lunch? We're waiting on the bench! I hope you're okay.'  _ scratch the hope you're okay part.  _

  


Catra put her phone face down on the table so she wouldn't check it again, but couldn't help herself. She picked it up again to check for a response, but there was none. Except the message had been read.  _ Did Adora hate her? Had she said something wrong?  _

  


"Scorpia, do you think Adora hates me?" Catra asked, "She just left me on read, and she's fifteen minutes late to lunch-" 

  


"Catra, you need to think rationally about this. Why on earth would Adora hate you?" 

  


"I don't - I don't know? Maybe she just  _ does _ , and she's changed her mind about me and she never wants to see me again!“

  


"You and I both know that couldn't possibly be true. People literally saw you two holding hands yesterday, that doesn't sound like something someone that hates you would do!" 

  


"Wait, people were talking about us?" 

  


"Yeah! They even gave you two a ship name! Catradora! That's Catra and Adora mer-" 

  


"I know what a ship name is, Scorpia." Catra interrupted, "do you think that's why she hates me?" 

  


"I doubt it, especially since she was definitely holding your hand back. I'm not sure why she wouldn't turn up. If you want, I suppose you could try and look for her? There aren't that many places in the school she can hide in." 

  


"I suppose it couldn't hurt to try." and with that, she was off. 

  


Without even thinking, she found herself walking the route to the abandoned bathrooms she and Adora went to the day before. She gathered that if Adora was trying to hide, for whatever reason, she would probably be here. 

  


Opening the main door, she heard a small amount of shuffling, but nothing else. Glancing down at the floor where the doors didn't quite meet the ground, she couldn't see any shadows that would give away that there was a person in the cubicle. 

  


However, just before she was about to turn and leave, she heard a choking sob. 

  


_ Adora _ . 

  


"Adora?" she asked, her voice soft so as to not startle the girl. "Is that you?" 

  


No response. 

  


"I uh- heard you, you don't have to pretend you aren't in there anymore..." 

  


She heard another gasp. 

  


"Please, at least just open the door," she pleaded, "it's okay," 

  


"You- can't - I don't want you-" Adora gasped again "You to see me- like--like this" 

  


"Like what, Adora? Can you breathe?"

  


"No!" She cried, and Catra felt her heart shatter. 

  


"Okay, take a deep breath for me, Adora, 4 counts in," Catra sucked in, "and 8 counts out." She breathed out, louder than usual, just to ensure Adora could hear her. "Now don't stop doing that. Is it ok if you let me in?" 

  


Catra heard Adora trying her hardest to follow through with the deep breaths. Although they were shaky, at least she was trying. She then heard the sound of Adora fumbling with the lock on the cubicle, and then the feeling of her body in her arms. 

  


Adora wrapped her arms around Catra's shoulders, squeezing tight. Admittedly, Catra thought the weight and warmth of her body on hers was nice, but she could feel Adora's whole body trembling in a way that felt all too familiar… 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe hope u enjoyed this one, the next chapter is going to be so mxub hurt/comfort I cant wait!! It's also 1am rn where I am so Im like on the edge of falling asleep while typing this kdhsks


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO MUCH HURT AND COMFORT I THINK I NEARLY CRIED
> 
> just a warning, this whole chapter is basically dealing with adora's issues which includes a pretty bad panic attack, but also a minor mention of not eating for a while so please take care and don't read anything that will trigger you! :)

Catra held Adora's uncharacteristically fragile and shaking body. Her heart ached to comfort the girl and rid her of all of her anxieties, no matter how much of an impossible feat that would be. It worried her, not knowing what caused Adora to find herself in this situation, but she knew that she had to keep calm, so that the other girl could feel safe. A million questions sat on the tip of her tongue, but she held them back; Adora was definitely not in a state to be interrogated. 

The empty toilets were silent except for the echoing sound of Adora's choked, ragged breaths. It felt as though there was no pain, fear or heartache bigger than what they were both feeling in that moment. 

"Catra, my chest!… I'm trying to - I can't -" she sobbed, "Why can't I _breathe_?" the feeling of her body trembling and the ache in her chest only made her panic more. 

"You're going to be okay, Adora, you're having a panic attack." She reassured her, "Keep breathing for me, yeah? It will help you feel better." 

Catra wasn't used to being the one comforting in this situation. But years of panic attacks trained her to know exactly what to do to ease the feeling. 

There was a warm pressure digging into her back, where Adora clutched desperately at the fabric in an attempt to ease the shake of her hands. In turn, Catra's hands also found their way around the other girl. Her fingertips grazed over the nape of Adora's neck, letting her hands run through the soft strands of blonde hair that had come loose from her ponytail. Adora's breath hitched for a moment, in a desperate attempt to hold back another sob. She paused momentarily, her hand hovering nervously around Adora's shoulder. Catra was uncertain if it was okay to continue; she knew that sometimes too much contact could make the sense of panic worse. 

Adora's once squeezed shut eyes fluttered open. "Don't stop… Feels nice… " Was all she could muster. The way her voice sounded was no less fragile than her body was. It was quiet, hoarse and uncertain. She returned her hands to the girl's hair, stroking in a constant, quiet motion.

Catra opened her mouth to speak, she wanted to say something, anything, but she didn't know how to turn her thoughts into tangible words. 

"Hey, Adora?" 

"Mhm?" the sound was muffled, as Adora had nestled her head into the crook of Catra's neck. 

"If you're okay with it - uh - would you be able to tell me what happened?" 

Adora must have relaxed a little, because she felt the girl's body tense up again at the question. 

"You don't have to if it will make you uncomfortable, I-" 

"It's okay. Let's go somewhere other than these nasty toilets." She pulled away from the embrace, but Catra noticed her body sway considerably as she tried to support her full weight again.

"I don't think you're really ready to be walking around the school," She stated, "Come sit over here." She gestured towards the least dirty corner of the toilets and sat herself down. 

"You should eat something, panic attacks usually drain all the energy from your body, especially once the adrenaline has gone. I have a cereal bar and some water in my bag, take them."

"Oh, uh that's okay, I'll be fine, really." 

"It's no big deal, Adora, it's just a cereal bar. I have a ton." 

"Really, I'm fine," But she clutched her head and leant against the wall, immediately proving herself wrong. 

"Adora _please_. For me." 

She reluctantly obliged, reaching in Catra's backpack for the cereal bar and water bottle, then slid down the wall to join her on the floor. At first she took a small sip of the water, but then realised just how thirsty she really was, and almost downed the whole thing in one go. 

"Careful, princess, you're gonna make yourself feel more sick if you drink too fast." 

The girl blushed at the pet name that Catra had unknowingly let slip. 

"What, did I say something wrong?" 

"No, it's nothing, _kitten_." 

The heat rose in her face yet again. Was Adora _flirting_ with her? Now? 

At least that meant she was feeling better…?

However, looking over at the girl proved otherwise. She was hunched over again, staring at the cereal bar she had in her hands. 

"You gonna eat that, then?" 

"Uh, yeah, I will - I just - _why don't words work for me!_ I feel kinda sick, Catra, and not because I had so much water." 

"How so? Are you still nervous?" 

"Well, I don't think so… I'm just tired now, I think, but uh yeah, I'm fine." 

"Stop saying that you're fine, when you and I both know that you aren't. When was - and please answer honestly, I won't be mad - when was the last time you ate?" 

To her surprise, Adora immediately started to cry. Catra knew she had gotten it right. Placing a comforting arm around the girl's shoulder, she encouraged her to answer. 

Adora leaned her head to rest on Catra's shoulder and they sat like that for a while, in a comfortable quiet embrace.

"It was- It was only last night. Really, it hasn't been that long." 

"Oh, Adora," her heart ached to kiss the girl, even though she knew it wasn't the time. She wanted to be closer, to place soft kisses on Adora's forehead, to kiss away all her troubles, to make her feel light again. Catra looked into her eyes and wished them to be happy. But they were glassy with tears of pain and hurt.

"C'mere," Catra pulled Adora into a tight hug, and placed one small kiss on the girl's forehead. "You-" she pulled away to look into the girl's eyes. "Don't deserve," As Adora tried to look at the ground she placed a hand on the curve of her jawline and tipped her head up so they met again, "To feel this way."

"I don't? But-" 

"No buts, Adora. You deserve to be happy. And trust me I know - whatever you're doing right now will not make you feel any better." 

"Hm," was all Adora could say. Catra could tell that she desperately wanted to tell her all the reasons she was wrong, but she held herself back.

"You can eat it, Adora. You got this." 

"I _know_ I can eat, Catra." 

"Oh yeah?" she retaliated "Prove it." 

And she did. 

"So, Adora, how exactly did this happen? I know we got distracted with all of uh - this - but I still think it's important you tell me what happened this morning…" 

"Well, I think that uhm -" she began, clearly trying to fight the nerves that were holding her back from explaining herself, "I think that it's been building up for a long time. This, the panic attack, it was just the breaking point for me, I guess. With everything that I have going on at the moment; school, the football team, - _especially_ the football team - I kind of forgot to do anything for myself… So when I felt kind of nauseated this morning, I just didn't eat anything, thinking it would go away, but it didn't. In all my lessons I felt so dizzy, but at the same time, it felt like somehow, some sick part of my brain thought I deserved it…" 

This hurt Catra more than Adora could ever know. She tried to hide the ache in her chest again - she had already been far too emotional than she would have liked for one day. 

"Then when I was on my way to meet you and Scorpia, I felt some kind of tightness in my chest, and an overwhelming amount of fear. I couldn't describe it to you if I tried, but I'm sure you know. My instinct was to run here, it was the only place I thought I would be able to deal with it alone… "

"And now you know that's a bad idea," Catra stated. "If you ever feel like this again, just know I'm here, ok?" 

"I'll try." She smiled. This time for real, Catra saw it reach all the way up to her eyes, creasing in the cutest way possible.

"Honestly it's no surprise that something like this happened - I can't remember the last time I just sat down and, I don't know, watched a movie, napped, or anything!"

"Well that, I can definitely help with. You _have_ to be free on weekends, right? It doesn't matter. Now you're free this Saturday, no matter what. Come over to my house in the morning, we're going to have a movie marathon. I will make it my goal for you to relax, and if I don't, then, I will only try again next week; nothing will stop me from making sure you have a good time!"

"You make it sound like an evil plot…" 

"And it is! You better prepare yourself, princess!" 

Catra stood herself up, and offered a hand for Adora, who took it. The two strolled out of the toilets, and headed towards the cafeteria. "I'm gonna buy you some proper food, and then we'll go to our next lesson - does that sound ok?" 

"That sounds more than ok. I never got the chance to say thanks, I've never really uh - that was the first time I've ever had a panic attack, I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't found me…" 

"It probably would have gone away eventually, but I'm glad I found you. And I'm glad you opened up to me. I know how hard that can be. But if even _I_ can open up, then I know you'll have no problem." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think that the worst hurt is over, and now we go back to the SLOOWW BURRRNNN heheheh  
> Hope you enjoyed!!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone thinks Catra and Adora are dating when they AREN'T! They're just friends I swear they aren't in love with each other,, Catra definitely isn't pining,,,,

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know what this chapter is,, i just wrote whatever came into my head LMAO

When Catra walked into math the next day, everyone's eyes were on her. It felt strange, no one ever watched her. Their eyes burned into her skin, like she was the lead actor on a stage. Catra wondered what the hell she had done to earn such attention as she sat down in her usual seat next to Adora. 

"Hi, Catra!" She spoke with her usual enthusiasm. 

"Hi, Adora." 

Adora cocked her head to the side. "What's up with you?" 

"Do you really want me to flirt with you in front of the entire math class? They're all watching." 

"Who is? Are they bullying you? Wait, flirt-?" 

She shook her head. "No they're just- everyone is watching. I don't know why." 

Adora took a quick look around the classroom. She was right, everyone was watching them. All this time, Catra thought she was invisible, like no one could care less what she did. But now she wasn't, and she didn't know what to do. It didn't help that she had no idea what she'd done, either. 

That was until she overheard a girl in the row behind her whisper to her friend, "I can't believe Catra is _dating_ Adora… I mean, I never would have guessed them to be the _lesbian_ types." 

Catra turned to face the girls and shot them an angry glare. Is that seriously what everyone thought? 

She regretted making eye contact with the girls. Her face was flushed bright red with embarrassment. "You two are definitely dating, right? Everyone heard about what you and _Adora_ did in the toilets yesterday, so there's no point denying it…" 

So that's what all of this was about. Their stupid hug in the toilets. Which had definitely been blown way out of proportion. 

"Hey," Adora's voice broke her train of thought, "Don't worry about it, I don't mind." 

Stupid people pleaser Adora. Was she not even a little bit mad? 

"But they're talking about us! About _you,_ " She half whispered. "I need to punch something." 

"As long as you don't punch _them_ ," She gestured towards the two girls. "I'm sure there's something you can hit." 

"I'm sure they won't mind if I just…" Catra reached into her backpack for her math textbook and slammed her fist into it with a satisfying smack. "This is kind of satisfying, I should punch math textbooks more often."

"What did the math textbook ever do to you? What if it has _feelings_!" 

"Okay, Adora, as much as I like your big heart, this textbook does _not_ have feelings." 

"Aww, you like me?" 

"What, no! Argh!" Her fist hit the textbook once again. 

"So, you don't? Then why'd you ask me over to your house on Saturday?" 

Oh so Adora wanted to tease, huh? She could do teasing, for sure.

"Maybe, I did it because I actually hate you - I hate you so much that I invited you to my house so that I can tie you to a chair and force you to watch shitty rom-coms for 8 hours straight!" 

"That sounds… Kinda kinky, Catra."

What kind of game was this girl trying to play? "Stop flirting with me, Adora! I'm trying to torture you!" 

"No one said I was flirting, Catra, unless… You want me to?" 

"No, Ugh! I'm gonna get some work done."

"Work? In math? Who are you and what have you done with Catra?"

"Oh, please. You know when I say work, what I really mean is stare at my sheet for a good amount of time and then ask you for help."

"That's my girl." 

Woah, _my girl_ ? Was Adora really trying to prove those motherfuckers right? She felt herself forget how to breathe for just a second, but she pushed the feeling down. They weren't dating, they weren't flirting, and the most certainly _weren't in love!_

"You know everyone can hear everything you say, right?" 

"Yeah, and?" 

"Well, do you really want them to have more evidence to prove that we're 'dating?' It just makes me mad that they're so invested in us…"

"I know, but we can't give them the satisfaction of knowing they got to us, you know?" 

"So can I punch them, instead?" 

"No!" 

"We can do this."

From under the desk, Adora reached and held Catra's hand in hers. The feeling was electric, and she wanted so desperately to stop it, but she couldn't. 

"Now we can do it, and no one can see!" 

"Do you want me to file a restraining order?" 

Adora puffed up her cheeks and pouted. _What a baby_. 

"Okay fine," She sighed, "But only in secret!" 

"So you do like it!" Adora teased. 

"Don't push your luck, Princess."

She did, in fact, like it. A _lot_. 

"Don't flirt, _Kitten_."

Her heart felt like it would jump out of her chest at any moment, and hearing the nickname only made it worse. 

"I wasn't! This _isn't_ because I like you or anything." 

They stayed that way for the rest of the lesson, hands intertwined under their desks. Unfortunately for them, their flirting was _painfully_ obvious to everyone, and by that afternoon, Catra had been asked what felt like one hundred times about her relationship with Adora. 

She just assumed that was just the price she had to pay to be close with the captain of the football team. Adora was probably used to being the center of attention, because she had so many friends. But Catra wasn't. All she wanted was to be invisible again. She didn't want to be seen or acknowledged by anyone. Luckily, it was a Friday, so she could go a whole two days without having any social interaction. 

Oh, shit, _Adora_. She was coming over to her house tomorrow. 

So much for being alone all weekend. 

This would be better, though. They would be alone, and they could say whatever they wanted without being stared down and followed every second, it would just be her, Adora, and whatever shitty movies they wanted to play, for a good eight hours of the day. 

Catra found herself smiling as she unlocked the door to her house and ran upstairs to her bedroom. Quickly, she changed into her comfy clothes, which was an oversized, ripped grey hoodie and a pair of black running shorts. It wasn't long before she heard her phone ringing from her bag, and looking at the screen, she saw it was Scorpia. 

"Hey Catra! I-" 

"Before you ask, no, Adora and I did _not_ make out in the bathroom, I do _not_ like her, and we are _not_ dating."

"Woah, are you okay, Catra? Do you need me to come over? Should I bring junk food so you can eat away your feelings?" 

"No, Scorpia, I'm fine. Just a rough day at school, is all." 

"Tell me everything, Wildcat."

Catra explained the situation with the two girls in her math class and how everyone felt so _entitled_ to ask Catra about her non-existent love life every second of the day. She also told Scorpia what had _actually_ happened in the toilets, sparing the details of course, she didn't want Adora to feel like she couldn't talk to her. 

"Wow, that's rough. But um - Are you _sure_ that you don't like Adora, as more than a friend, because -" 

"Yes! I'm sure! Why can't people see that we're _just_ friends!" 

In truth, Catra didn't believe a single word that had just come out of her mouth, but she couldn't dare admit for a second that she was in love with Adora to anyone. Plus, she knew Adora didn't want her like that. They were just friends, she told herself. Just friends. 

"Okay, Wildcat, remember I'm here if you need me! Especially for relationship advice!" 

"Trust me, I won't be needing any relationship advice any time soon." 

That night, Catra found it impossible to sleep. She couldn't stop herself from thinking about what everyone was saying about her and Adora together. Admittedly, she didn't hate the concept. But she knew that she didn't like Adora like that. And even if she did, there was no way that Adora would like her back. They could hold hands and still be friends, she reassured herself. That was a thing that friends did. She told herself this until she thought she believed it, because the last thing she wanted was Adora finding out that she was the reason Catra couldn't sleep at night. Finally comfortable in her thoughts, she drifted to sleep. 

  
  
  
  


At eight in the morning, Catra was awoken to the sound of someone knocking on her door. She dragged herself downstairs, too tired to care about her bed hair and the fact that she was still in her grey hoodie and shorts from the night before. Whoever knocked at this time in the morning would just have to deal with it. 

She yawned, rubbing the sleep from her tired eyes, and opened the door. Standing there was Adora, smiling bashfully at the sight of morning Catra. How had she gotten here so damn _early?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, I hope u didn't hate that kdhdjs


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some more awkward lesbian interactions kdhdk

If Catra could crawl into a hole and burrow in it and live there for the rest of her days, then she would. 

Why did Adora have to catch her off guard at the _worst_ time?! 

Although she couldn't say that she hadn't set herself up for something like this to happen. When Catra had made the offer, she never actually requested Adora be here at a certain time, and if Catra knew Adora well enough by now, she knew how much the girl loved to be early. It was like on time was late! 

"Oh- Uh, am I too early?" the realisation that Catra had only just woke up made her feel sheepish. 

As much as Catra wanted to be mad, she couldn't bring herself to yell at Adora for a situation that was half her fault. 

"Well you did wake me up at 8 in the morning, so I won't say _no_. But I'm not mean, so I'm gonna let you come inside." Catra stood to the side of the door and gestured for Adora to enter. 

"I'm sorry for waking you up, I just didn't want you to have to wait or leave you hanging like I did earlier this week…" 

"Hey, I'm not mad at you. You know I would never hate you. It's all in the past ok?" 

"Yeah, ok. Thanks." Adora kicked off her boots and placed them next to the front door. 

Catra led Adora upstairs to her bedroom, where her bed was still freshly unmade from when she was so abruptly awoken not even ten minutes ago. The room wasn't very well decorated, but Catra wasn't one to care about interior design. For the most part, it was pretty minimal, white walls and a white desk, which was placed in front of a wide wall length window. However, a stark contrast from the plain furniture was endless amounts of art supplies, and stacks of paintings and pencil drawings scattered around her floor. Catra had forgotten just how much of her work was on show - it wasn't like she had people over often, so it hadn't ever mattered to her what was on the ground. As they entered, she kicked a few pieces out of the way, embarrassed for Adora to see them. 

She noticed Adora staring at the paintings, which she couldn't stand, so she tried to distract her with something else. 

"Anyway, what are you even wearing? This isn't really movie marathon attire… " 

The girl was wearing the same thing she always wore for school - Her red jacket, white turtleneck and grey jeans. It wasn't _uncomfortable_ , but it definitely wasn't loungewear to say the least.

"What's wrong with my outfit? It looks fine!" 

"Yeah it looks fine, you look _perfect_ , but-" 

"You think I look _perfect_?" Adora tried to tease, but it didn't come off how she planned, as Catra noticed the blush emerge on her pale skin. 

"Oh, yeah. The jeans really show off your not-very-muscular legs!" 

She scoffed, "My legs are- they are very muscular!" 

"Hmm, yeah, whatever you say, princess," Catra reached into the drawer of her wardrobe for something, "I can give you something more comfy to wear if you want? I did promise to make sure you relax, so… Here." She handed Adora a black hoodie which had a sword painted onto the back, and a simple pair of red shorts. 

"The bathroom is straight ahead if you want to go change, I really need my coffee so I'll be down in the kitchen if you need anything." 

"Ah, uh thank you - thanks Catra," And she sped into the bathroom, to avoid any more embarrassment.

Equally as quickly, Catra headed to the kitchen to make her coffee. She flicked the switch on the kettle, and while waiting for it to boil, grabbed her favourite mug from the cupboard. The mug was years old, but it was still perfect because it held a _lot_ of coffee - and most days she needed a _lot_ of caffeine to get through the day. Catra then dumped a heaped teaspoon of coffee granules into the mug, and the kettle switch clicked back, signalling that it was boiled. Carefully, she began to pour the water into her mug, when she looked over her shoulder to see Adora standing there. 

_Fuck._ She looked so good, even in casual clothes. _Her_ casual clothes. The shorts hugged her legs, emphasising the definition of her muscle. Even if she was only teasing earlier about her not-so-muscular legs, she wished she could take it back. Adora was looking at her with wide eyes and a bashful grin, and _oh fuck she wasn't paying attention to the water!_

There was a loud hissing noise as Catra accidentally poured the hot water onto her left hand.

"FUCK! OW!" She grimaced and squeezed her eyes shut. Could she be any _more_ of a lesbian disaster? 

Adora, being the try hard that Catra knew she was, immediately ran over to help, running the cold water tap for her to put her hand under. Under inspection, the burn wasn't very big, just grazing the side of her hand. 

Catra hissed as she stuck her hand under the flow of water; at first she thought it was making the burn worse, but after a while, it soothed the raw skin until the feeling of burning went away. 

"How did you even manage to do this?" Adora asked, "Were you distracted by something?" 

"Well, I wasn't distracted until _you_ came in." 

"Oh! So you were distracted by _me…_ " 

"Yes! I-" Upon seeing the look on Adora's face, she knew she'd given herself away, big time. "Not like _THAT_!" she playfully shoved Adora, who just laughed. 

"Were you distracted by my not very muscular legs? I told you that you were wrong." She was taking full advantage of Catra's embarrassment. 

"Why, ugh! Let's just go back upstairs and pick out a movie or something." Catra grabbed her coffee, but didn't stop to add any milk or sugar. She couldn't drink it any other way. Then she turned around and led Adora out of the kitchen. 

"I didn't hear a no!" 

Catra facepalmed. Adora could really be such a tease when she wanted to. And a good one, at that. In an effort to shift the conversation to something _other_ than her embarrassing moment, she asked, "Do the hoodie and shorts fit okay? I know you're a bit taller than me and uh-" _very muscular_ …

She kept that thought to herself. 

"Yeah, they both fit pretty snug! Did you paint the sword on the back of the hoodie? It looks so cool!" 

"Yeah, I did - it's nothing much, I just got bored so I painted on some of my clothes…" 

The two entered the bedroom and sat on the edge of Catra's bed. For a while, they sat in a comfortable silence, as Catra sipped on her hot drink, until Adora spoke up again. 

"So, do you like, do art all the time?" 

"Well if you couldn't already tell by the state of my bedroom - yes. It's pretty much my only hobby." 

"And you're very talented at it too, you know" Adora nudged Catra's side, "I like your paintings - well what I could see of them anyway." 

Catra laughed nervously, "They're kind of embarrassing, I forgot I left my stuff lying on the floor, I probably would have put them away if I had remembered." 

"Aw, what?! But they're so _pretty!_ " 

"Wait, you're not kidding?" 

Adora looked over, clearly confused. "No?" 

Her whole face flushed with red, the compliment made her brain short-circuit. "I- wow. You can uh- if you want I can show you a few pieces?" 

She saw Adora's whole face light up. "REALLY!" immediately, she jumped up, bright eyed and enthusiastic. It was like she was a little kid in a candy store, Catra thought, but _so_ goddamn _cute_. 

"Don't get your hopes up too high, princess, they're not gonna be the best things you've ever seen in your life." Catra fumbled around the pile of works to find the best pieces to show her. 

She settled on only two, but she was sure that would be more than enough to satisfy Adora's curiosity and excitement. 

Reluctantly, she passed them over. 

The two pieces she chose were a set of watercolour paintings, with matching colours and the same theme. Unlike most of her other work, which was either too sad, or a boring study, she'd allowed herself to experiment with the colours she used, and also work from her imagination. Usually she would religiously rely on reference pictures, like her art teachers always said to, but she was feeling particularly rebellious that day, and couldn't bring herself to care. 

They both depicted a similar beach scene, however one was set in summer, and the other in winter. The skies were a stunning blend of rich blues, reds and pale yellows, which also reflected in the waters. In the winter scene, the main colours were cool blues and purples, whereas in the summer scene, she predominantly used pinks and oranges. She had even gone all out with a white pen afterwards to add highlights and small stars in the sky. These were paintings that she was actually quite fond of, which was rare, as she often always despised her work. 

"Woah… These are - they're so pretty! I don't know how else to describe them! They're magical!" Adora exclaimed, and admired them again, "How come you never told me you could paint so beautifully!" 

"It never really came up in conversation - plus I didn't think you would really care, since you're more of the sporty type." 

Adora gasped, "Why would I _not_ care?! I care about _you_ and that includes your hobbies!" 

"Aha! You _like_ me!" Catra immediately teased; she hoped that it would cover up just how much she was blushing in that moment. It felt like maybe her whole body would melt, and absorb into the ground. 

"Wha-! No, uh- not like _that_!"

_Not like that._

Why did hearing that feel so… Disappointing? It wasn't like she liked Adora either, so why did she even care? 

Clearly she had shown her disappointment on her face, because Adora looked very uncomfortable. "I - Catra, did I say something wrong?"

"No, I don't like you like that either, so it doesn't matter! Anyway, let's do what you actually came here for and put on a film or something."

The two girls moved to sit comfortably close on Catra's bed, leaning against the wall.

"What do you wanna watch?" she asked, trying her hardest to break the thick tension she had created. 

"I actually don't know, maybe just open Netflix and we'll see what comes up?" 

"Sounds like a plan to me, princess."

(some doodles) 

<https://pin.it/1T3V4Nn>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya Catra is an artist, I have some things planned for that soon (which are also very awkward and gay)  
> I did some doodles of them in the kitchen scene, the only way i could get it to work was if I uploaded it to Pinterest lmao  
> 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The teasing in this one is unreal hehe

They had both settled down on Catra's bed, watching the movie they'd picked out. Over the first hour of the film, they had slowly crept closer together, and by the end, Adora was curled up, resting her head on Catra's arm. The other girl had also gotten just as comfy, draping an arm around Adora's shoulders. After a while, the second movie just became background noise, as conversation was sparked again.

"I don't get how she can just kiss someone like that!" Adora complained at the TV, "She doesn't even know him, and is like 'let's make out!'" 

"I'm guessing you're more of a get-to-know-them-first type." Catra observed. 

"Well yeah, I guess - especially since I haven't ever kissed someone before…"

"Oh? You haven't?" 

"And you're surprised by that?" 

"Well yeah! Because you're, well, Adora!" She exclaimed. 

"What is that supposed to mean?" Adora asked, curiously. 

"Like uh, you're captain of the football team, and uh-" She coughed- " _ Attractive _ " She coughed again in hopes that Adora hopefully wouldn't be able to hear. 

"So, you  _ do _ like my muscles?" 

"What! I never said that! Argh!" 

Adora nudged Catra knowingly. "Hey, you're uh - I think you're pretty too…" 

She looked down to hide the burning fire in her cheeks and teased, "Now look who's being sappy. It's like we're the cringy couple in this damn movie!" 

"Yeah, exactly! The only thing we don't do is make out all the time-" She halted, after seeing the surprised expression on the other girl's face. 

Catra didn't know what to say. Were they  _ really _ like one of those cringy movie couples who flirted all the time in public? There was no way, anyway, they didn't like each other like that.  _ Or so she thought _ .

Her gaze returned to Adora, whose face was incredibly close, so close that she could almost feel the tickle of her breath on her skin. At first she was shocked, but she couldn't help but smile at the intimacy. Then Adora smiled back. Her eyes trailed down to Adora's lips - it would just take one swift movement to close the gap, to press her soft skin against hers - but she pulled away. She didn't like Adora like that. 

_ It would be nice though _ , she noted. 

Catra cleared her throat. "Hey, would you - do you wanna go get some food? I have some snacks in the kitchen."

The tension in the air immediately disappeared at the sound of food. 

"Ugh, yes! I'm so glad you said, I was too awkward to say I was hungry!" 

"So you can practically  _ sleep  _ on me while watching a movie, but you're too awkward to ask for food?" 

"Hey!" Adora exclaimed, "That's not the same!" 

"Next time just say, ok? But there is no guarantee that I won't tease you for this." She shot Adora a sly smirk and stuck her tongue out. 

She huffed, "I saw that one coming," and stuck her tongue out back in retaliation. 

Catra opened one of the cupboards "So, what do you want? We have… Some random cereal bars, or we could make sandwiches -" 

Adora cut her off. "Do you have bananas?" 

"What?" 

"Bananas. Do you have them?" 

"Why are you so  _ weird?"  _ Catra asked, while handing her one from the fruit bowl. 

"But they're  _ so good _ !" 

Catra frowned and furrowed her brows. Adora shot her a toothy smile before taking a bite.  _ Why did her heart feel like it was going to jump out of her chest? _ Why did Adora have to be so  _ weird _ ? 

She fumbled around to turn the oven on to distract herself. "I'm just gonna cook a pizza. Is that cool?" 

Adora gasped excitedly dragging out her words, "Pizza? Yes! I haven't had that in so longgg"

"That's a definite yes then." She placed the frozen pizza on the tray and into the oven. 

"Try not to burn your whole hand of this time, kitten."

"I won't burn myself if you don't distract me!" 

"Are my legs  _ too _ muscular for you to handle?" She wrapped her arms around Catra's shoulders and pulled her in, resting her head on her shoulder. Catra was so flustered she couldn't even look up. 

"Do you  _ want _ me to burn myself again, princess?" 

Adora then let go, and stood against the wall. "Fine, suit yourself."

****

On Monday, Catra was sitting in her art class, listening to her teacher ramble on about the next steps for their coursework. As it was coming somewhat closer to the end of term, they had been given a four week long project for their assessment. Catra never really thought much of her projects, she just did the first thing that came to her mind, and threw it all together last minute. This time it was proving to be much more difficult, however, as her teacher had devised a six week schedule, which he would check they had completed every Monday. Catra would actually have to do things according to plan.  _ Ugh _ . 

They had to choose to continue one of the topics that they had studied that term for their project. Not many of the things they had studied really stood out to Catra, except for one. So without a second thought she picked portraiture. Catra wasn't exactly sure just  _ what _ she would do with that topic, but it was the only thing she actually tolerated, so it would probably work itself out. 

That was until her teacher suggested she did self portraits. Catra gave that a hard pass. Why on  _ earth _ would she want to stare at her face for 5 hours and colour every single detail? That sounded like if hell was an activity. Upon seeing her apparent disgust, he then suggested the next best thing. Catra would have to find a model for her art project. A model that she would have to do multiple photoshoots with, and draw over and over again. 

_ Adora _ ?  _ No _ . 

Maybe she could ask Scorpia? There was no way she would turn her down, but Catra wasn't sure if she was prepared to deal with her over-enthusiasm. Scorpia would probably ask to see every single step of the process and then tell everyone in the entire school how great she was. Which she definitely didn't want. Entrapta, well, she wouldn't stay still for one photograph, let alone a whole photoshoot. 

Deep down Catra was well aware that both girls would be just fine for her project - these were just excuses she made up (The Entrapta one was probably true, though) because she secretly knew that Adora was the only one she wanted.

As everyone was working on their projects at the same time, Catra knew that she would have to prepare early in order to get a chance to use the cameras. She had reserved her place for after school on Wednesday, and all she could do now was hope that Adora would say yes to her offer. Luckily for Catra, they had math together next, which would be the perfect chance for her to ask. 

Finally, at the end of the lesson, Catra was shoving her large portfolio bag into her drawer and turning to leave, when she noticed Adora standing there in the corridor. This made her feel nervous -  _ since when had they ever waited for each other between lessons? _

Taking a deep breath to compose herself, she headed out the classroom to where the girl was standing. 

"Hey, Adora? Since when do we wait for each other between lessons?" 

Adora laughed, "I just wanted to see you, is all!" 

Catra breathed a sigh of relief. At least it wasn't anything serious. 

"Aww, did you miss me Baby Adowa?" She teased in a childish voice. 

"Psh, maybe, so what? Did you  _ not _ miss me?" 

She stuttered and froze. "Uh, no! It's been less than two days since we last saw each other, princess."

"Two days too long," She complained, "I also wanted to let you know that I accidentally took your hoodie and shorts home with me on Saturday. I completely forgot to change back into my own clothes." 

Catra raised her eyebrow, "So  _ that's _ where my red shorts went! I've been looking everywhere for those, you criminal!" 

"I was gonna give them back, you  _ dork _ . I'll bring them in tomorrow." 

"You better,  _ criminal _ ."

They both entered the classroom, sitting down in their usual seats. It was quiet as they waited for more people to arrive, and Catra knew that this would be the best time to ask Adora to be in her project. The only issue was that she couldn't push past the nerves that were holding her back; It felt as if she had forgotten how to speak. 

"Hey, uh, Adora? I wanted to ask -" 

Mrs Weaver arrived, just at the wrong time. "Okay, everyone we're going to be doing textbook work today, so open to page 264, and do as much as you can."

Useless Mrs Weaver - all she ever did recently was set textbook work and just sit there looking at God knows what on her laptop. 

Once the conversation had died down a little, Adora spoke. 

"So what were you saying before? Did you want to ask me something?" 

Catra had secretly hoped that Adora hadn't heard her. "Oh, it's uh - it was nothing. Nothing important." 

"You sure? I don't mind, we're just in boring math, so I need entertaining anyway." 

Catra could feel the shake in her hands as she spoke, "Well, we're starting this four week project for art, and I chose to do portraiture. My teacher actually suggested that I do self portraits! Doesn't that sound like the worst thing ever?" 

"I don't think I've ever drawn a self portrait before, but yeah, I wouldn't want to look at my own face for that long," She laughed, "So what are you going to do instead?" 

"Well that's the thing, I uh-" She paused for a second, and continued, "I've reserved a place so that I can use the cameras this Wednesday, and I was wondering if you would - if you wanted to model for me?" 

Adora's face lit up, and Catra breathed a sigh of relief, for the second time that day. "That sounds so cool! Of course I'll do it!" 

"Really? It isn't like uh, too much trouble?" She hated how uncertain she sounded in that moment. 

"Of course! I'd have to be a bit late training to have time to do it, but yeah, I'll definitely be there!" 

For once, Catra couldn't wait to get started on her project. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is the photoshoot afternoon! It is gonna be very gay :p


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter. Oh my,, I think i died a million times. So nervous,,, so GAY,,  
> A lot of u guys were really excited for this chapter so I hope it lives up to your expectations!!!

Catra wasn't sure how much equipment she would need for this photoshoot. In her head, she had a clear idea of what she wanted the lighting and colours to be - the hard part would be executing it right. 

Entrapta had helped her set up that afternoon, carrying and plugging in the two studio lights. They were tall, almost the same height as Catra, and they weighed a ton. She had them placed in either corner of the room, behind a wooden stool which was in the center.

As Catra exited the room, she made a mental note to herself of the things she still needed to get.  _ SD card, camera, coloured gels- _

_ Oof.  _

"Gah!" She exclaimed. 

"Ah Catra, watch out!" Adora laughed.

Being too busy in her thoughts, Catra hadn't looked where she was going, and had just bumped right into Adora. She looked down at the floor, then up at Adora, who was smiling like an idiot. 

"What are you looking at? I was distracted!" 

"I've never seen you so focused before, it's strange, but cute." 

"I am  _ not _ cute!" Catra whisper yelled, "If you want something else to do other than being a  _ dork _ , could you go and get the masking tape from the store cupboard?" 

"Yes,  _ boss." _

"Fuck you."

Catra sped off in the other direction to the table where her backpack and the camera she was using were left. She reached deep in her bag to find the case which had her SD card in it, and after a while of fumbling, she pulled it out with a triumphant "Aha!" 

Placing the camera over her head with the safety straps, Catra then went to get the coloured gels. These were also in the store cupboard, where she had just sent Adora to go. She peeked her head inside, where she saw Adora, opening every drawer in search of the masking tape. 

"It's right here, princess," She said, smugly, reaching in the drawer opposite the entrance. 

"How was I supposed to know that? I've never been in this store cupboard in my life!" 

"Yeah, well, it was funny to watch you try," Catra shuffled past Adora and grabbed a set of coloured gels. "I think I've got everything now, let's go!" 

The space they were going to be working in for the next hour was a separate room located at the back of one of the bigger art studios. It was usually referred to as the darkroom, as it was previously used for developing film and traditional printing photography. Although it was small, it was perfect for photoshoots with direct lighting, since closing the door would remove all other outside light sources. 

Awkwardly, both girls entered the darkroom. With two people in there at the same time, plus all the wires and large pieces of equipment, there wasn't much space for them to move around. Catra gestured for Adora to sit on the wooden stool, while she made the finishing touches to her setup. 

She tried to squeeze past Adora to get to the studio light at the back, but inevitably, her torso brushed against Adora's shoulder, sending a shiver down her spine.

In her hand, Catra held a sheet of saturated orange coloured gel, and on her wrist, she wore the reel of masking tape like a bracelet. It was a fiddly task - she was trying to hold the coloured gel on to the light while also trying to rip off a strip of tape. 

Adora, being curious, had her head turned to watch what Catra was doing. She noticed her struggling with the tape, and offered to help. 

"It's ok! I don't need any help," Catra used her body to hold up the gel to the light so she had both hands free to work with the tape. This was effective at first, she soon had a strip ready to stick on to the lamp, but when she turned around, the gel slipped down her side and fell to the floor with a disappointing  _ splat.  _

"Here, I'll hold this coloured thing - what's it called," Adora stood up, and bent down to retrieve it. 

"Coloured gel." Catra corrected. 

"Yeah, I'll hold the coloured gel, is this ok?" 

"Keep it there, I've gotta bend it round so that it covers the whole light before I stick it," Catra reached between Adora's arms, which were on either side of the main head of the light, pulled the sheet tight and stuck it with the tape.

"That was much easier." She admitted. 

They repeated that process for all four corners of the gel, until they were certain that it was secure around the lamp. When they finished, Adora victoriously exclaimed, "Yeah, teamwork!" and held out a fist. 

"What are you doing?" 

"Fist me." 

Catra's face was now a mix of fear and pure horror. "Adora!" 

"What? It's just- oh. OH MY GOD I DID NOT MEAN THAT!" Her face flushed a deep cherry red, which she then hid in her hands. 

All Catra could do was double over in laughter. "You're such an idiot, you know that?" 

"YES. You're never going to let this go, are you?" 

Adora knew Catra all too well by now, and vice versa. They were always teasing and making fun of each other, and this was the perfect opportunity for another embarrassing moment to bring up every second of the day. 

"Hmm… Well as much as I enjoy making fun of you, I  _ guess  _ I should be nice since you're modelling for me." 

"I agree. I'm missing football practice for you."

For  _ her?  _ What was  _ that _ supposed to mean? 

"If you model well for me, maybe I'll let this slide, princess."

"Are you suggesting that I  _ won't _ be a good model for you?" Adora resumed her place on the wooden stool. 

"Of course not, your face is  _ perfect,  _ there's no way you'll mess this up." 

"You think so?" 

She felt herself become flustered and tried to explain. 

"Adora, why else would I have chosen you to model for me? Of course it is! Plus you're one of the very few people I like - tolerate."

Catra had turned around to switch on the orange gel lamp, which meant she didn't notice the deep blush that had once again returned to Adora's cheeks. 

"Aha! You  _ do  _ like me! 

"I said  _ tolerate _ ." Catra retaliated. 

"Same thing, " She was about to turn around to look at Catra, but she was stopped. 

"I'm warning you, Adora, do not look at these lights without the gels on them or before I've changed the settings. It's fucking blinding. I know."

After turning on the orange light and dimming the white one, Catra stood in front of Adora to study how it looked. 

"I'm gonna turn off the overhead lights now, is that ok?" 

"Yep, go ahead."

Once the overhead lights were off, Catra could adjust the studio lights to give the effect she wanted. However when she turned around, she felt her body freeze, and her breath hitched in her throat. The white light did need to be moved more into the center, she noted, but her main focus in that moment was Adora. 

Catra was lucky that the coloured light hid the embarrassing amount of blush on her cheeks. 

The bright backlighting of the white lamp illuminated Adora's silhouette, but also reached the curve of her jawline, creating a dramatic contrast of light and shadow. Not only that, but the orange light which was also positioned behind, but more to the right of her, created warm, bright, saturated edges on her hair and the side of her face. She looked effortlessly ethereal, like some kind of majestic superhero, and Catra couldn't look away. 

She didn't know how long she had been staring, it felt as though time had slowed, but at the same time, it was going far too fast. Her heart could probably jump out of her chest - 

"Catra? Are you ok? You've uh, been looking at me - looking at the lights for a while now…" 

"I…" Catra was dumbstruck and giddy, she couldn't articulate anything in the way she wanted, "You're… so - so pretty." 

There wasn't any better way to describe it than that. Besides, her brain was a scrambled egg; she wouldn't have been able to think of anything else if she tried. 

Adora, although Catra couldn't see it, was equally as flustered. 

"Y - Yeah?" 

"Yeah," She looked down and shook her head, and ran a hand through her hair, in an attempt to somewhat ease whatever she was feeling, "Let's do this photoshoot then."

Taking a deep breath to try and compose herself again, she managed to somewhat take control of the situation. 

"So, uh, what I had in mind was you looking into the distance, not at the camera. First, I guess turn your head a bit to the right, and look over my shoulder."

Adora did what Catra said, and Catra took a couple of photos from that position. She tried to experiment with lots of different poses, and she had basically asked Adora to look all over the room by the time she was done. Later Catra would have to go through them all and pick out the best ones, but she knew she would much rather have too many than too few. 

"I'm just gonna move the white light so it is more centered," Catra said, as she brushed past Adora. The shiver washed over her again as their bodies touched, "And move this orange one back a little…" 

Looking from the front for the second time, she had an idea. 

"Hey, Adora?" 

"Yeah?" She looked up into Catra's eyes and a fire burned in her chest. 

"Is it ok - would you take your hair down for me?" 

"I look better with my hair up, you know." She sounded a little insecure about having it taken out, so Catra didn't pry much more. 

"It's ok if you don't want to, I just had an idea…" 

"I - I don't mind doing it, it's just - I feel nervous." 

"Is this the first time?" 

"No, I've been nervous before." 

"That's not what I meant,  _ dork _ ! Is this your first time doing an actual photoshoot?" 

"Oh! Then yeah, it is my first time. But, uh, that's not why I'm nervous."

"It isn't?" Catra raised one eyebrow and shifted her weight to one side. 

"No… I guess - I'm just nervous to be around you right now, and I don't know why."

"In a bad way? Did I do something wrong, Adora? You know you didn't have to say yes -" 

"Hey, hey. That's not what I meant. You just - I'm nervous, but excited, if you know what I mean…" 

"Yeah," Catra definitely knew that feeling.

Adora laughed, "Feel my heartbeat, it's so loud!" 

She reached over and placed a hand to the girl's chest, and Adora held it there. It was true, her heart was beating hard and fast, but Catra couldn't accept the obvious reason why. 

"I - I make you feel like this?" 

"Yeah."

_Oh_ _shit_. _Did_ _Adora-? Did she-?_

Catra had no time to process her thoughts, as Adora slowly pulled her hand away and brought it to her ponytail, taking out the black hair tie that was holding it up. She shook her head to let her hair fall loose around her shoulders. 

"I'm not sure how messy it is, it probably needs brushing or something-" 

"No, it's - it looks perfect, princess, I don't know what you were worried about."

Adora's face crinkled into a wide, blushing smile.  _ Gods _ , this girl would be the death of her, in the best way possible. 

"Okay, now just push your hair so that it is down your back - like this," Catra nervously reached out a hand to tuck Adora's hair behind her ear. It was soft, just like the first time she ran her hands through it in the toilets. 

Since when did it get so  _ hot _ ?

She smiled, and Adora smiled back, it was like a whole pantomime of grins and awkward gestures. 

As Catra pulled away, she felt her body aching to be closer again, something she hadn't ever felt before. She wanted to run her hands through her hair again, to hold her -  _ stop _ . It was impossible to focus when her mind was racing with thoughts like this, but she had to continue with the shoot. 

_ Focus _ . 

"Okay, uh, my idea was - face to the left, and look up slightly." Adora followed her directions, almost perfectly, "Just, um, relax your body a bit, you're very tense. Roll your shoulders back, and unclench your jaw - perfect."

Catra snapped a few photos from that pose, and then flicked through the camera gallery, satisfied with the result."

"I think we're done!" 

"We are?" 

"Yeah, you can look through the photos if you want. They will need some editing, but I suppose to an  _ untrained _ eye they'll look okay."

Adora gasped, " _ Untrained _ ? How dare you!" but then laughed, "Yeah, I suppose you're right."

Catra gestured for Adora to come over and look. She stood closer to Catra than was actually necessary, their arms brushed together as they scrolled through the gallery. 

"Wow… These actually look incredible. Not that I doubted you," She laughed. 

"Yeah, princess, I hope you didn't doubt my skill! Let's go pack these things away." 

Adora took the lights, because she said "I have more muscle than you," So Catra didn't bother to argue. She took all the small pieces, like the camera and masking tape. 

Popping her SD card back in its case and throwing it into her bag, she gathered up her things to go. Adora was waiting for Catra at the door as she threw on her jacket and her backpack over her shoulder. 

"Ready?" Adora asked, with a smile.

"Yep, let's get out of here."

Catra noticed Adora sneak their hands together, and following her own body's desire, closed the gap. They excited the school hand in hand, their feelings still painfully unaddressed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHH I REALLY HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS ONE!! I LOVE U GUYS AND ALL UR COMMENTS :'D


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feelings might get addressed!!!!! Heheehh

When Catra got home after the photoshoot, she felt restless. She had tried to sit down and relax, but her body was just itching to do something - anything. She thought it could be due to stress, or maybe it was because of everything that just happened with Adora. 

It was definitely the latter, and as much as she tried to push it away, every touch, every smile and every laugh was playing like a broken record in her mind.  _ She liked Adora.  _

In another effort to mute her feelings, she made dinner, but even the kitchen reminded her of Adora, and the time they'd spent together. She couldn't get away. Maybe this was the universe trying to tell Catra to get her act together and address this issue.

Catra reached over for her phone, and hesitated, before dialing Scorpia's number. If anyone knew what was going on, it would be her. 

"Hey, Wildcat! What's up?" Scorpia's ever enthusiastic voice echoed around the room. 

"I have a problem." She wasn't quite sure what to call her situation yet, but  _ problem _ seemed like a decent start. 

"A problem? What kind of problem?" 

"An…" Catra hesitated then sighed, "An Adora problem."

"Oh!" Even from over the phone she could tell that Scorpia had instantly put two and two together. "So, you like her?" 

_ Yes. She liked Adora.  _

"Well, no, I just- I don't know." 

"Well you remember what I said ages ago about what it feels like to have a crush? Do you feel any of those things?" 

_ Yes.  _

"No…" She lied. But she could already see Scorpia's knowing eyebrow raise. "Maybe, a little bit." 

That was a huge understatement, and Catra knew it. 

"So what made you finally realise?" 

"I think it was - we had the photoshoot today, and a lot of things happened that I can't get out of my head."

"Care to explain?" 

In all honesty, Catra would rather do anything else than explain what happened during the photoshoot. Yet she knew that if she actually wanted this situation sorted, she would have to tell her at some point. 

"So, uh -" Where could she even begin? "Well when I saw her in the lights - it was like - I just…" 

"I can tell you hate this, Wildcat," Scorpia laughed, "But it's okay, I'm here to help." 

She began again. "When I saw her, I was speechless at first - my mouth wouldn't work, and my heart - my heart felt like it was going one hundred miles an hour. Then I just said 'You're so pretty'..." Catra fake gagged, "I think I'm going soft, Scorpia."

"Soft Catra isn't bad! It means you're finally letting yourself feel things! Which is great." 

Catra smiled; she knew Scorpia was right. Feeling was progress, and in all honesty, it wasn't that awful. 

"Do you think that Adora would feel the same?" 

"You tell me, Wildcat, how did she react?" 

"Uh…" Catra paused for a moment, recalling the memory, "She just said yeah, but it was like a question. Nothing much. But um - there was one thing she said…"

"What was it?" 

"She said that - that I make her nervous." There was a soft ache in her chest at the thought, "And she wasn't lying. I felt her heartbeat, it was just as fast as mine…" 

"CATRA! DO YOU EVEN REALISE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING?" She was surprised her eardrums didn't burst at the volume of the sudden shout. 

"What do you - are you saying that -" 

"ADORA DEFINITELY HAS A CRUSH ON YOU, WILDCAT!" 

"Are you sure, shouldn't I just uh, give it a bit longer so I can-" 

"No." Scorpia was more than certain that she had heard all that she needed to hear. 

"So, what are you proposing I do?" 

"I don't want you to throw yourself in the deep end, Wildcat, so maybe start small, like an actual date? After school?" 

Catra pondered the idea for a moment. It would give Adora another break from her training, which she would never take otherwise, plus Catra could also use that time to assess Adora's feelings. 

"Where would we even go? I've never had to plan a date before…" 

"Hm…" She could hear the cogs turning in Scorpia's brain as she gathered ideas, "Maybe, like a coffee date? There's an abundance of coffee shops about 10 minutes from the school, so you could start there!" 

A coffee date didn't seem half bad; it was more casual, and they would also be sheltered from the cold. 

"I'll uh - I should try and find out what afternoon Adora is free. She is training all the fucking time at the moment, I don't really want to be a distraction for her."

"Catra, you're not just a distraction. Adora deserves to have a life outside of her work and sport - if anything, you're giving that to her. And trust me, I can tell you make her happy." 

"You can? Since when have you seen Adora?" 

"Well, I have to get to know my best friend's future  _ girlfriend _ at some point! Why not start now?" 

"Okay, stop with the girlfriend talk. I haven't even taken her out on a date yet!" 

"Good luck, Wildcat! Not that you'll need it!" 

Catra sighed, then hung up the phone.  _ A date with Adora _ . She smiled to herself at the idea, but then she felt a twist in her stomach - how would she even ask her? Leaning back in her chair, she opened the notes app on her phone to prepare the message; maybe she was overthinking this a little, but it was better to be safe than sorry. 

'Hey, do you want to go on a date?' 

_ Too blunt.  _

'Are you free next week? Do you want to go on a date?' 

Catra typed, erased, typed and erased repetitively for what seemed like forever. Nothing sounded right - nothing sounded like her. She sounded too formal, too polite, too nervous. Why did this have to involve so much  _ work _ ? Her stomach was in knots and her forehead hurt from how furrowed her brows were in concentration; she needed to relax, or that message would never get sent.

The girl pulled out her laptop from the drawer in her desk, and reached in her bag for her SD card. Maybe working for a while would take the edge off - but she then remembered that all her work was related to Adora. It was no joke that she couldn't get away from her for ten seconds. At least it was something else to do. She put her playlist on shuffle, and around twenty minutes later, she was deep in to editing the pictures she had taken of Adora earlier that day. It only reminded her how God damn beautiful that girl was. Instead of pushing that thought away, she let it sit. She was actually quite content for a while, tapping her foot mindlessly to the beat of her music. That was until her phone pinged. 

Instinctively, she went to check the notification, assuming that it was just something dumb from the group chat she was in with Scorpia and Entrapta - but it wasn't. 

It was from Adora, and she couldn't help but feel skittish. She reluctantly clicked on the message to find out what Adora sent. 

"Hi Catra! Are you free this Friday after school? We could go and hang out at the park, since it's going to be more sunny then. I checked. It could be a date? That's if you want it to be one, no pressure, though. Just let me know! <3" 

Suddenly, Catra's phone was no longer in her hand, but thrown on to her bed. She squealed, immediately embarrassed, but there was no one around to see, anyway. Her body was nearly shaking in exhilaration, her stomach rising up to her chest like she was riding the steepest decline of a roller-coaster ride. She had to be dreaming this, there was no way it was real,  _ right _ ? 

It was a typical Adora message. She rambled when she was nervous and that definitely showed in her text. Adora was nervous - nervous because of Catra - again. 

Catra reached for her phone, and the message was still there, her screen glowing - it was definitely real. Which meant she had to respond. She wanted to be sarcastic, to joke it off and play it cool, but her excitement still shone through no matter what she wrote. 

Finally satisfied, she hit send on her message: 

'You checked the weather for me? You're such a dork. It's a date, so don't you dare flake on me! <3'

It was only a few seconds before the three dots appeared on her screen again. Only this time, she wasn't sure this message was meant for her. 

'AHH GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!! SHE SAID YES!!!!!' 

Catra couldn't smile wider, even if she tried. Her heart felt so full, and she didn't ever want the feeling to end. 

'OH MY GOD CATRA THAT… I'M SORRY!' 

There wasn't really much need to apologise, but she could empathise with the embarrassment Adora was probably feeling. 

'Glad to hear you're excited, princess, luckily the feeling is mutual ;)' 

She only received a keysmash as a response. Typical Adora. 

'So… Were you talking about me to your friends?' 

'... Maybe' 

'Dork.' 

Their relationship was becoming much bigger than just between her and Adora; it was wild and out of her control, but she didn't hate it as much as she thought she would. Knowing that Adora talked about her to her friends just like she did with Scorpia made her feel special. It was new for Catra, having someone like her who she actually liked back.

'And you haven't? Scorpia seems to know a lot about me…' 

'Fuck you!' 

'See you Friday! And in our lesson tomorrow. But Friday!' 

Catra slid down in her chair and let her body melt. Her phone was clutched against her chest as she rode out the overwhelming flood of emotions.

She then typed out a message to Scorpia she didn't think she would ever send, especially considering how difficult it was for her to just make the first move earlier. 

'Date with Adora on Friday!' 

_ A date with Adora on Friday. Wow.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THERES GONNA BE A DATE CHAPTER,,, I CANT WAIT TO WRITE IT :P I will finally feed you the sweet content you waited 10 chapters for heheh


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I done messed up and uploaded the wrong chapter kdjdks,, here's chapter 11!!

Thursday afternoon, Catra was sifting through her wardrobe for something to wear tomorrow, for her date with Adora. Everytime she thought about it she would feel warm in her chest, she couldn't believe that it was actually happening. And normally Catra would never plan what she was going to wear, but this time it was different. They would be leaving to go to the park as soon as they finished for the day, so what she wore for school would be what she wore for the date. 

"How about that sleeveless top you have?" Scorpia spoke. She insisted that she help Catra every step of the way, which is why they ended up on a video call together, debating about clothes. 

"Did you forget that it's November, Scorpia? I don't want to be an ice block!" 

"Oh yeah, warm clothes. What warm clothes do you have?" 

Catra facepalmed. If she had to recite every item in her wardrobe one more time, she would hang up. 

"I'm not doing this  _ again.  _ Let me just - I'll try on something and you tell me what you think." 

"Go ahead, Wildcat." 

She put her phone down on her bed as she searched for her black hoodie. It was the same one Adora had accidentally taken home with her the last time they hung out, and she hadn't washed it since then; mainly because it still had Adora's smell, but also because it wasn't dirty yet. Maybe that was creepy, but it was comforting to Catra, so she would hold on to it for as long as she could. 

Pulling the hoodie over her head, she then reached for a pair of red leggings. They had long mesh windows down the side of either leg, which Catra thought looked cool, and secretly she hoped Adora would, too. She knew that although Adora said it would be sunny, it wouldn't be warm, so on top of the hoodie she layered an oversized blue denim jacket. 

"So, what about this?" She propped up the phone on her desk to give Scorpia a full view. 

"It looks great, Wildcat! But what shoes are you gonna wear?" 

_ Shoes.  _ What shoes would she wear? Catra wasn't one for collecting shoes, so her collection consisted of three pairs that she alternated between. One pair of black combat boots, some more formal black lace up shoes she'd had for about three years, and a basic pair of black converse. There was definitely a pattern in her colour choices. Catra opted for the combat boots, pulling them on and zipping the sides before turning back to Scorpia. 

"Perfect! If Adora isn't swooning over you yet then I don't know what else you could do."

"She better swoon, I actually put effort into this!" Catra unzipped and threw the shoes back onto the bottom shelf of her wardrobe with a thud. 

"And that's very rare," Scorpia noted, "You guys must have a really great bond."

"Yeah," She thought to herself, but also spoke out loud, "I guess we do."

****

Adora had texted Catra to meet her at the back gate of the school. It was finally the end of her final class, and Catra headed over. That day had felt like it dragged on even longer than usual, so she was relieved to finally be free. 

When Catra arrived at the back gate, she scanned the area for any sign of Adora, but she hadn't arrived yet. Catra was well aware that it was unusual for Adora to be late for anything, so she typed out a quick message to let her know that she'd arrived. 

'I'm here, hurry up, Princess!!'

'I'm coming! I'm just in the toilets' 

Catra scoffed and shoved her phone back into the pocket of her denim jacket, and leaned her weight against the fence next to the gate. For a while she just stared down at her hands and tapped her foot impatiently. She was a little on edge, since this was the first real date she had been on. The others didn't count in Catra's eyes because those were with guys, and she didn't  _ like _ guys. 

Looking up again, she saw Adora racing across the field at lightning speed.  _ Holy shit.  _ That girl could run  _ fast.  _ Those were Catra's first thoughts before she saw her up close, catching a quick glimpse of the girl's - eyeliner? 

Before she had time to assess that observation she was quickly pulled into a tight embrace, Adora's hands wrapping under her arms and round her waist. It was warm and shaky, she could feel Adora's breathless sighs against her chest and the air on the hair of her neck. After the initial shock, she hugged the girl back, but much softer and more carefully. 

"I'm so happy you could make it!" Adora sighed, "I've been looking forward to this all day." 

The two bodies relaxed into each other for a second longer, before pulling away. 

"Let's get going shall we?" Adora eagerly grabbed Catra by the hand and led her out of the gate and towards the park. 

Catra looked to the left, where Adora was walking. It came as no surprise that she was still wearing the same trademark red jacket, but her white turtleneck and gray trousers had been exchanged with an oversized, white knitted jumper that was tucked into a pair of blue jeans, cuffed at the ankles. On her feet she wore a pair of plain white trainers, and looking up again to see her face - her face was the opposite of plain. 

Her face was dusted with a light blush which trailed across her nose and under her eyes. She had also used a warm brown shadow in the outer corners of her eyelid to add more dimension, and on top of the eyeshadow she had drawn a thin wing of black eyeliner. The whole thing tied together so nicely - the warm brown contrasted with the cool blue of her irises, and the blush added an extra cute factor, which meant Catra couldn't look away. 

She didn't quite realise how dumbfounded she looked, until she saw Adora staring back, a smirk forming on her mouth. 

"Like what you see?" Adora teased, nudging Catra with the same arm that held her hand. 

"Psh, you wish,  _ dork _ ."

Adora hummed knowingly, Catra was obviously drooling over the girl. 

"I was thinking that we could just hang out in the park? It's not anything fancy," She could feel Adora's hand tremble slightly with nerves, "I've never actually been on a date before, so…"

"Hey, I think it's  _ perfect." _ Catra looked Adora in the eyes and smiled reassuringly, then squeezed her hand tight. "I didn't have much of a better idea." 

"Wait, you had a date idea too? Were you gonna ask me out?" 

She felt herself blush as she looked at the ground bashfully. "Heh… Maybe I did, but you beat me to it. I'll take you out next time though, for sure." 

"Next time, huh?" 

"Well, uh, if you want a next time, then yes."

"Of course I do. But that's… That's so strange to hear, that you also wanted the same thing… I was -" Adora faltered for a second, "I didn't know if you actually wanted to go out with me, for some reason I - I don't know, I thought you would say no, and think I was weird then never speak to me again." She chuckled to herself to ease her nerves. 

"You and I both know I would never do that. I do really care about you, Adora." 

"I know you do, I can just be a bit, well, uncertain. My friends - Bow and Glimmer, they were yelling at me over the phone to just send it, I thought I was actually dying from the way my heart raced. As soon as I sent it, I threw my phone across the room." 

Catra laughed, "No way. I threw my phone when I  _ received _ the message. We really are both  _ dorks _ ."

"I think you're more of a dork than I am." 

"And why's that?" 

"Because I got to take you on the first date." 

"Yeah, and how does that make you any less of a  _ dork _ ?" 

"Because…" Adora thought for a second, "Because I said so!" She raised the arm that was holding Catra's hand, pulling her with it. 

"Woah, careful there, princess." 

The swing had brought the two even closer together, and Catra swore the blush on Adora's cheeks had become even more prominent since she last looked.  _ Dork _ . 

In the time they'd spent talking, the girls had made it to the park Adora had planned to have the date at. It was small, but charming. There were small stone paths that divided up the grassy areas, and trees that surrounded the area from the outside world. Dotted around the park were regular wooden benches, but also a few picnic style benches too. As it was a chilly November day, there were only the odd few people about, which gave them a lot of space to themselves. 

They settled down on a bench which faced towards the trees so they could have a little privacy. The wood and metal was cold on their bodies, so they found themselves snuggling close together for warmth. 

"Is this okay?" Adora asked, clearly still uncertain with her choice to go to the park. 

"It's perfect, Adora. Really." She wrapped an arm around Adora's shoulder and pulled her in, and she obliged, letting her head rest on Catra's shoulder. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while , taking in the heat that they both gave off. 

"So how has your art project been going?" Adora finally spoke. 

"It's been good, I started editing the photos a couple of days ago. You were - you are really pretty, and a great model. I know they're going to turn out amazing." 

"That's not just me, you know. Your skills are amazing too." 

"You think so?" 

"Why would I lie?" Adora looked up at Catra and smiled. 

Her breath hitched as she looked Adora in the eye. 

"Touché. And what about you? Still being a fitness nerd?"

"Still being a fitness nerd." Adora confirmed, "It's not long now until the big game."

"Are you excited?" 

"Well, yeah, it's exciting. But I'm also super nervous, if you couldn't already tell." 

"Just remember, I believe you can kick ass. That's all you need to win right?" 

"Not exactly. I'll  _ metaphorically _ kick their asses, and literally kick the ball's ass."

"Sounds like a plan. Do footballs even have asses?" 

Adora laughed, and Catra's heart warmed. "I don't think so.

"They do now, and you'll kick it." 

She felt Adora shift her body closer to her chest, and then close her eyes. In turn, Catra moved her hand to run her fingers through the girl's hair, just like she had so desperately wanted to do during the photoshoot. It smelled freshly washed, although it had probably been quite a few hours now. Secretly she wished they were somewhere more private. Even in the seclusion of the park surrounded by trees; there were still people walking about. They wouldn't be able to do much more than this in public. 

It was so natural, and so comfortable. Catra thought that she could fall asleep here, even in the cold, keeping Adora in her arms. She closed her eyes for a second, until she felt cold drops of rain splashing down on her face. 

"Adora, I think it's raining."

"Raining?" She shot up from her comfortable resting position, "But I  _ checked the weather _ !" 

"Sometimes the weather prediction can be wrong, Princess."

It was coming down harder now, they would have to find shelter somewhere. 

"I have an umbrella in my bag, I'm so sorry about this Catra." She fumbled around and pulled out a foldable umbrella, which she then put up. 

"It's fine, Adora. I'm still having a  _ great _ time."

To fit both girls under the umbrella, they almost had to properly hug, which they didn't complain about. As they stood, Catra returned her arm back around Adora's shoulder. 

"How about we head back to my house?" Catra suggested, "It's only about ten minutes away, we won't get too soaked if we walk fast."

"Yeah, let's do that." Adora sighed. She was clearly disheartened by the situation, the last thing she expected was for it to rain. 

"Hey, don't be upset, Adora. No one would have known that it was gonna rain. Not even a  _ dork _ like you." She placed a soft kiss on the side of the girl's head, which made her tense up, "You okay?" 

"Yes, yes, more than okay." She nodded her head enthusiastically, "I like it when you do that."

"What, this?" Catra demonstrated by placing another kiss in the same place as the last. 

Adora hummed a yes, and Catra felt her heartbeat quicken. If Adora liked that, would she want to kiss - to kiss for real? Just the idea of kissing Adora made her breath hitch in her throat. Would she even be able to compose herself enough to do it? Maybe. Catra thought to herself. 

_ Maybe today, I will kiss Adora for the first time.  _

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it too soon,,, will she do it,,,, good question,,,,  
> Also it's 12:30am here so if this chapter is filled with typos I apologise kdhsks


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluff and more fluff,,, i hope you enjoy this one because I sure enjoyed writing it!!

The second time Adora came over to her house was equally as nerve-wracking as the first time. It was arguably worse for the second though, because Catra didn't have any time to prepare. She was certain that her room was still in a state from yesterday, when she was trying to decide on an outfit. 

Despite all that, they were relieved to finally be in the warmth. Catra's fingertips had long since gone numb, the only heat she had came from Adora's hand, but even her fingers were just as cold. 

Adora shook the umbrella out for a bit before folding it back up and resting it against the wall. 

"So… What do we do now?" Adora asked, somewhat nervously. 

"We continue our date, I guess. Exactly the same, except on my bed instead of a bench."

She saw Adora's eyes light up again. It was clear how disheartened she was about the whole situation, but Catra had been trying her hardest to keep the girl's spirits up, and to her surprise, it was working. 

"Let's go then, Princess," She said, and held Adora's hand as they walked up the stairs to her bedroom. 

She was not surprised in the least to see her entire wardrobe scattered across the floor of her bedroom. Instinctively, she pulled away from Adora to shove some of the clothes away. 

"Sorry about the mess," She gestured to the ground, "I did a lot of outfit try-ons yesterday."

"Awe, you actually cared?" 

"Yeah, so count yourself lucky, princess" Catra jabbed a finger in Adora's direction. 

"I am lucky." She smiled, and went to sit on the bed. 

Catra moved to sit next to her, adjusting herself so that they were in the same position that they had rested in when they were sitting on the bench. This time it was even more cosy, the comfort of her bedroom provided much more privacy. 

She took a deep sigh, and let her body relax. 

"Your hair smells nice," Catra half whispered. Adora tilted her head and fiddled with the ends of her ponytail. 

"Thanks," She laughed, "I like when you play with it better though," 

Her hand dropped from her ponytail to rest on Catra's leg. In response, Catra reached to take out Adora's hair tie, but it was awkward from the position she was sitting in. She moved herself so that she was now behind Adora, which gave her much better leverage on the hair tie. 

"What're you doing?" 

"I wanna play with your hair."

Adora nodded, and smiled down at her feet, but Catra couldn't see that from her position behind the girl. 

When her hair was loose it was much longer, and slightly wavy from being held up for so long.

"I'm gonna braid it," She stated. 

"Go ahead. I never do anything with my hair other than a ponytail."

"Yeah, you and your trademark ponytail," Catra teased. 

"Hey! I know it looks good, and you do too."

Catra smirked, and blushed, "You aren't wrong there, but it also looks great down too."

She finished off the first braid with the hair tie, and then realised she didn't have another band. It didn't really matter though, since she was just playing. 

"Turn around for me?" She asked, and Adora moved further onto the bed so that she was cross legged facing Catra. Even though only one side was braided, it still looked good. She had no idea how Adora could look so damn pretty all the time. 

"Does it look dumb?" 

"Yeah. Dumb and super pretty, too." Catra reached forward to tuck the loose strands behind Adora's ear. She swore that she felt Adora shiver at the touch. 

"I want to hug you again."

Catra couldn't help but smile. 

" _ Dork _ ." She teased, but opened her arms, "C'mere then." 

She quickly moved to sit in Catra's lap, and Catra let her arms move to Adora's waist, to hug her, and never let go. With every sensation of the girl's skin on hers, she thought it would be too much. But at the same time, it wasn't enough. The feeling made her lose her breath, and forget everything that was around her.

"You comfy?" Catra asked, even though she was certain she knew the answer already. 

"Yeah," Adora sighed, "It's so warm." 

They were tangled together as if they would never have this chance again, Catra's hands wrapped around Adora's waist, as Adora sat upon her lap. Her head rested comfortably in the crook of her neck - they were two puzzle pieces that fit perfectly together. Adora sighed, breathing her in, and her breath tickled the fuzz of her skin, causing it to stand on end. 

Catra let her eyes flicker shut, leaning her weight further onto Adora's body. 

She would live here if she could, forever tangled in the embrace. It was so bright and warm that she hardly felt like herself anymore. Her legs had long since gone numb from the weight of Adora's body on them, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Adora was here, and that was all that mattered. 

"My legs are numb," Catra laughed, "I don't think I'm gonna be able to walk after this." 

"I guess you'll just have to stay here longer then, what a shame," Adora said, jokingly. 

Eventually, Catra had to pull away. It was much colder out of Adora's arms, but wanted to be able to stretch out for a second. There was a short murmur of disapproval from Adora, who equally felt the cold, empty feeling. Catra wriggled her feet to encourage the blood to flow, and as soon as feeling returned to her legs, she threw herself back into Adora's arms. She didn't want to waste a single second being away from her. 

Yet even though their bodies were wrapped together, she still wanted something more. Catra couldn't forget the feeling on her lips after she kissed Adora's head, and she soon realised exactly what she wanted. It made her chest flutter, with nerves and excitement. 

She pressed her forehead to Adora's and caught her breath. Her eyes fluttered slightly, and Adora's opened at the new feeling. Catra only dared to look at Adora's lovestruck eyes for a moment. Her chest warmed, the brightness glowing even stronger. Adora smiled, and Catra smiled back. She felt herself blush and lowered her eyes. Never before had she been so distracted by the space between each other's lips. 

Everything was all too much. She had waited so long for this, that it felt nothing short of a religious experience. Adora was  _ everything _ . Pulling away for just a moment, she returned her gaze over the girl in her entirety, and Adora stared back. They were caught in a pantomime of stolen glances and loving gestures. And even though Catra's body was already on fire, she knew she wanted more. 

Catra placed a gentle hand to Adora's chin, tilting her head up slightly so their eyes met. Her breath hitched in her throat. It was ineffable - the beauty she saw in the girl. The sharp curve of her jaw, her wide, gazing eyes, and her lips-

Catra couldn't wait any longer. 

"Is it ok if I-" She gestured to her lips with her eyes, and Adora nodded, giving the green light that Catra had been waiting for. 

Without hesitating for a second, Catra moved forward and pressed their lips together, sending goosebumps all over her body. The kiss was sweet, gentle and feather-soft. She made sure to be extra careful, still holding Adora's chin up. Then Catra felt Adora's lips form a wide grin, and Catra laughed against her mouth. They marginally moved apart, catching their breath. 

"Wow," Was all Adora had to say. 

She was clearly breathless and giddy, but so was Catra. Her stomach was fluttering wildly, still savouring the kiss, and she leaned back in. This time, Adora was the one to close the gap, and Catra let her have it. Her eyes flickered shut, letting the feeling take over her body again. It felt good, so good, she wasn't even sure how to articulate it. 

"You don't know how much I wanted to do that," Catra smiled, and it reached right up to her eyes. She hadn't felt such pure happiness in a long time, "You make me so, so happy, Adora." 

"And you make  _ me _ happy." Adora also had a wide grin, "Scorpia said you looked happier too. She said you were much less 'grouchy.'"

"I am? Scorpia said that?" 

"Yeah. It's also in your eyes, too. You smile wide and it creases your eyes and they sparkle. It's happening more than it used to," Adora suddenly felt shy, "Did we actually do that?" 

Catra thought she could cry. She had no idea that Adora had that much impact on her life. 

"Yeah, we kissed. For real. Let's do it again." 

"Do what?" Adora had a shit-eating grin on her face. 

"Don't make me spell it out for you,  _ dork _ . You know what I'm talking about." 

"I think - tell me what you want?" 

"Gods, just kiss me Adora!" 

Adora then doubled over in laughter, and Catra couldn't help but laugh too. They then both pulled each other into a kiss that was filled with giggles - it could hardly even be considered a kiss, since they couldn't keep their mouths shut long enough to press their lips together. 

"Stop laughing Adora, I'm trying to kiss you!" 

"You're laughing too!" 

"Okay then, try kissing me like  _ this _ ." She pulled the straightest face and sat still as Adora tried to kiss her. 

"You're not moving, Catra!" 

"Yeah, but I'm not laughing, am I?" 

"Stop teasing, just a second ago you were  _ begging _ me to kiss you!" 

"I was  _ not _ begging!" 

"Hm, well I heard otherwise." Adora crossed her arms smugly. 

"Shut it, Princess."

"Why don't you make me." 

"Oh I will,  _ gladly _ ," She said, before finally pulling Adora into a kiss, for real this time - no laughing, no teasing, and it was the best feeling in the world. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh I hope you liked this one!! I didn't want to be too cheesy when writing the kiss, but then again,, it is a kiss and they're both dorks so there wasn't really a way around that lmao


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry. That's all I'm gonna say for now

By Monday, word of Catra and Adora's kiss had spread like wildfire. She didn't understand why everyone was so invested in their love life, but it wasn't a surprise. Adora was the popular kid, after all. 

If this was a dream, then she never wanted to wake up. The fact that she actually  _ liked _ (She had taken a while to accept the idea) Adora, and Adora liked her back made her feel over the moon. She had more of a spring in her step as she walked into math for her first period, and the thought of seeing Adora made her even happier. 

"Hey, Adora!" Catra said excitedly. This was the first time they'd seen each other since their date on Friday; the two had texted, but that wasn't the same.

"Hi, Catra." Her voice was cold and indifferent, which was  _ very _ unlike Adora, and the smile faded from her face. 

Sitting down in her usual seat, she tried to sneak a look at the girl's facial expression. Her hands were pressed into her temples, her brows were furrowed, and her eyes normally bright blue eyes were dull and sunken. It didn't take a genius to know that she was exhausted. 

"Hey,  _ dork,  _ how much sleep did you get since Friday?" 

"I…" Catra could see the gears turning in her head, "Well, I fell in and out of sleep for a few hours each night, so… Maybe about 6?" 

"You're such an idiot, you know."

"Yeah, well if it was in my control, I would have gotten a lot more, trust me."

"So it was out of your control? What happened?" 

Adora's body stiffened at the question. 

"Nothing happened." 

"Oh." That meant something  _ definitely _ happened. 

Catra sat awkwardly beside Adora, unsure whether or not to pry any more information out of her. She didn't feel like she was the best at dealing with emotions, but this wasn't the first time, so maybe she would be able to pull it off again? 

"Uh, Adora, are you sure you're okay?" 

"M'just tired," She mumbled, and was about to rest her head on Catra's shoulder, but pulled away, and scowled at herself, "Shouldn't do that."

"Shouldn't do what?" Now she was genuinely confused. 

"Nothing, it's fine."

"Whatever you say, princess," But she wasn't convinced in the slightest. 

They were half an hour into the lesson before Adora really started to freak Catra out. The whole time they had both been silent, Catra not daring to ask any more questions - and Adora - well, Adora looked like if she opened her mouth she would cry. 

She also noticed Adora digging her nails into the palms of her hands, visibly frustrated. Catra reached over to try and stop her, but she pulled away at the touch, which left Catra even more confused. 

Adora then put her hand up and asked if she could leave to go to the toilet. Her voice was weak and shaky.  _ What had she done to make Adora feel this way _ ? Or worse -  _ was it even her that did it?  _

If it was somebody else, Catra reminded herself to not hold back when kicking their ass later. 

She barely lasted ten minutes before asking 'to go to the toilet' in the most convincing voice she could muster. Adora never made herself difficult to find. If she was going to run off, Catra was obviously going to go after her. 

Catra walked into the broken toilets and figured it wasn't worth even asking if she was in here, as it was all too obvious. 

"Hey, Adora? Why did you leave?" 

"You don't have to come after me all the time, you know." 

_ Ouch _ . 

"Yeah, well I want to. So tell me what happened." 

"Nothing happened. I'm just peeing." 

Catra folded her arms and scoffed, "Yeah, right, for fifteen minutes?" 

"Yeah, maybe? So what?" She was definitely mad. 

It was silent for a moment, as neither of them said anything. 

"So, are you mad at me or something?" 

Adora scoffed, "Why would I be mad?" 

It was silent again. 

"I don't know, you tell me! Every time you got close to me you pulled away! I must have done  _ something _ ."

She let out an impatient breath of air, "I can't see you anymore." 

Catra went completely still. Her heart was thudding in her chest and it was suddenly hard for her to think. "What the  _ fuck _ ?" She couldn't hold herself back now, "Did you even hear what you just said?" 

All she heard was Adora cursing under her breath and a fist slamming into the wall. 

"It's not you - it's -" 

"Who  _ else _ would it be? Do you like someone else?" 

"Fuck, no. I don't like anyone else!" 

"Then- then what, Adora? Are you just going to leave? After all that?" 

"Catra I don't want to leave you. I can't tell you why, I can't-" 

"If you don't want to leave me, then why say  _ that _ ? Just stay!" 

"I don't have a choice, Catra."

"Adora,  _ what _ is going on? Who is making you do this?" There was an overwhelming amount of desperation in her voice now.

In a quiet voice, Adora mumbles, "She said- My coach said you were a distraction. That I have to let go." 

"But what do  _ you _ want, Adora? Are you seriously going to drop me because of  _ her _ and  _ your game _ ?" 

"It's okay, Catra, don't worry about me." 

"What about  _ me _ , Adora? Don't you think that maybe  _ I _ need you?" 

"I know. And  _ I _ need you too-" 

"No, clearly you don't." 

Catra stood there for a second, numb, before fleeing out of the toilets and out of the school. Her chest was tight, if she took in a deep enough breath she would cry. But Catra knew she couldn't cry now, if she started she wouldn't be able to stop, and would end up crying all the way home. It felt pathetic. 

She knew what they had together was too good to be true. Catra knew deep down that she didn't deserve any of it, and figured this was just the universe's way of reinforcing that thought. If Adora really did care about her, she wouldn't have left for some  _ stupid _ game. 

Even if the big match was important, she didn't think that it would end up being more important than their relationship. It was obvious that Adora didn't need her anymore. 

_ I guess Adora has chosen her side. And so have I.  _

Catra flopped down on her bed the moment she got home, tears falling hot from her eyes as soon as she was in the comfort of her sheets. They had only kissed three times, but Catra still had to force herself to sleep to stop her heart from hurting so badly.

  
  
  
  


******

  
  
  


It was 4pm when she finally woke again, and Catra felt even worse than she did before. Sleeping away the day only made her more tired. Her body ached as she got up to go to the bathroom, and looking in the mirror she saw her eyes were still red and puffy from crying.  _ Adora would help me with this.  _

_ But Adora isn't here, idiot.  _

She splashed water over her face, the cool, fresh feeling was slightly comforting. For a while, she stood staring at her reflection.  _ How did this even happen? Why did everything good have to be ripped away from her?  _

When she checked her phone, she had an overwhelming number of notifications. Most were from Scorpia, which was understandable, but there were also a good few from Adora, too. 

Scorpia's messages mostly consisted of her asking where she was and if she got home safe, which was weirdly heart-warming. The least Catra could do was say that she got home okay. But she decided to pretend she hadn't seen the others:

'Catra, what happened between you and Adora?' 

'Adora looks really upset, where are you?' 

'YOUR GIRLFRIEND IS CRYING CATRA WHAT DID YOU DO??!'

_ First of all we aren't girlfriends. And I didn't do anything!  _

'Wildcat, I know what she said might have sounded bad, but she didn't mean it like that.' 

_ Oh, she absolutely meant it like that.  _

She didn't even bother to read Adora's messages. They were most likely desperate pleads and empty apologies. Catra would deal with that later. For now, the only plan was to sleep away the emptiness. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, I hate to do this to u but it had to be done kdhdks  
> Sorry for a bit longer wait for this chapter, life has been so stressful and I havent been able to relax in dayysss RIP ME. But I hope you uh,, enjoyed this chapter even though it kinda hurts lmAO


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's like three time skips in this chapter sorry kdsjjd that was just the only way I could do it

It was impossible for Catra to sleep that night. The combination of her daytime catnap and her brain not shutting off for a single second did not make for a pleasant experience. Eventually she gave up trying, and unlocked her phone, where she was unpleasantly reminded of all the messages she had received from Adora. The notification count had gone up to fifteen. Lying alone for so long made her feel detached in a way, so she decided to open them up. 

'Catra, I'm sorry' 

'I didn't mean for it to come out like that, you know I still care about you' 

'Are you safe at least? Scorpia said you haven't responded to her messages either' 

'Look, Catra, I didn't have a choice, when Coach Weaver found out the reason I was skipping afternoon practice, she thought I was slacking off because of you.'

_ Wait, Mrs Weaver was Adora's coach? That would explain why she was so controlling.  _

'I don't know what to do, Catra, I'm sorry!' 

With that, she shut off her phone, and yet again, her eyes stung with tears. She let them fall. 

  
  


***

The next day was just a series of terrible coincidences. If there was anything that could go wrong, it would, and if there was anything that could go right, it wouldn't. 

If Catra had left the house ten minutes earlier, then she wouldn't have been late for her first class. If she hadn't been late for her first class then she wouldn't have been held behind afterwards, and if she wasn't held behind afterwards, she wouldn't have bumped into Adora in the hall. If she was just ten minutes earlier, none of this would have happened. But it did. 

"Catra!" 

She pretended she didn't hear Adora and turned to leave. Catra did not have the energy to deal with her problems today. But Adora was a tryhard, endlessly persistent, and a fast runner. Clearly she wouldn't be able to get out of this one. 

"Catra, wait. You can't just ignore me!" 

"I can." 

Adora laughed nervously, "Yeah, I guess you can, but please, just hear me out."

She turned around and sighed, "Fine. Let's sit." 

Catra felt her heart ache slightly at the idea of actually talking to Adora again. Maybe this time she would be able to put her anger aside and sort things out? 

They sat on a bench which was out of public view - She knew no matter how hard she tried, this would most definitely get messy. 

Glancing over at Adora, she could see that she wasn't the only one that didn't get a full night's sleep. If Catra was bad, Adora was awful. 

"Look, I actually don't know what to say. I'm sorry-" Adora began. 

Catra cut her off immediately, "Stop apologising. It doesn't mean anything."

This threw Adora off, her tolerance clearly much lower than usual. 

"Then what do you want me to say? I was  _ scared _ when you didn't respond to mine or Scorpia's messages. I kept sending more but I got nothing! How can I know how you feel if you  _ don't tell me?"  _

"Saying sorry doesn't take back what you were going to do, Adora." She said her name spitefully, in hopes that she would catch the hint. 

"I never  _ meant _ for it to hurt you!" Her voice was sharp and desperate. 

"Well it did! At least I know now what I mean to you"

"What are you saying, Catra? You're  _ everything _ to me! I just- I don't deserve you!" Her voice was breaking now, "You cared for me when I was having a panic attack, you helped me take a break, and made me take care of myself! This game is - it felt like my only chance to prove myself. If I just tried harder I thought I would be happy, but I was wrong." She choked on a harsh sob and clamped her hands over her eyes. "All I did was hurt you, and I  _ hate _ myself for it."

For a second, Catra felt bad for being so angry. 

"If you need me then why can't you just  _ stay _ ?" She was half yelling out of frustration. 

"Don't you see that I'm trying? If I let you distract me from the game again they might drop me as captain!" 

But the anger returned again, burning stronger than ever. 

"So  _ you _ think I'm a distraction too?" Catra scoffed, "Just leave, Adora. Like everyone else." 

"I don't want to leave you, Catra! I thought you would at least try." 

But Catra wasn't in the mood to try. She left, having heard more than enough. Luckily for her - Despite everything - Adora didn't move. She wasn't done trying yet. 

***

That afternoon, Scorpia invited herself over to Catra's house, in the name of 'Catra needs some self care time'. 

Even if she tried to resist, it was undeniably true that her needs had very much gone unattended since she and Adora had fallen out. She'd assumed that they would just watch a movie, or Scorpia would try and show her a new meditation technique that she learned from Perfuma. Which was why she - albeit reluctantly - obliged in the first place. Immediately after they'd settled down on her bed, she had realised that this time that wasn't the case in the slightest. Scorpia and Adora had been talking, which Catra had very much overlooked, and had been trying to work out a way to fix their problem. 

Scorpia knew well enough by now that when Catra was hurt, she would become defensive, and push people away. Unfortunately too, she was incredibly good at it. This time, Scorpia wouldn't let it go any further. What Catra had with Adora was unlike anything she had ever had with anyone else before, and it would break her heart just as much, if not more, to see them fall out irreparably. 

"So, Wildcat, how have you been feeling?" 

"Fine. I guess." She was hunched against the wall with her legs up against her chest. 

"Just fine? How have things been between you and Adora?" 

That clearly hit a nerve, as Catra's whole body tensed at the thought of everything that had happened. "Not so good, " She mumbled, almost inaudibly. 

"Adora seemed pretty upset when I last saw her, she is pretty messed up over all of this." 

Catra scoffed, "Trust me, she's not the only one."

"You know, maybe you two could talk it out?" 

"She already tried that. It didn't work."

"Yeah? Why do you think it didn't work?" Perfuma had recently shown Scorpia some new techniques to help people talk about their feelings and problems without prying. They were a type of question that couldn't be answered with an easy one word response, which was proving especially useful on Catra, who was especially good at those types of replies. She used it all the time as an easy way out of opening up. 

Catra hesitated. It felt like  _ everything _ about that conversation went wrong - but the start - they started out okay, so what actually made it become so awful? 

"I don't know. All I know is that - that Adora doesn't want me. She doesn't need me like I need her." 

"What makes you think that?" 

_ Gods _ , Catra thought, Scorpia was way too good at getting her to talk.

"It's just - she said that I was a distraction to her stupid football game. Well, not exactly - but that's definitely what she meant. I told her if she doesn't want me, she can leave." 

"But is that really what you want, Wildcat? Maybe you're making this situation worse than it needs to be." 

"I am not!" She yelled defensively, before taking a deep breath, "Sorry. It sounds like - like I am just in her way. I don't want to be a distraction or a burden, maybe I'm just - I'm not good enough for her." She sighed, and pressed the palms of her hands into the sides of her face, running them through her hair. 

"Don't you ever say that, Catra! She kissed you! You are more than good enough for her!" 

She thought back to what Adora said earlier. Catra then thought that maybe Scorpia was right - she was making this worse than it needed to be. A flood of guilt came over her. 

"I pushed her away, Scorpia. I was hurting, and I pushed her away when - when she was hurting too." Her lip was trembling slightly, and Scorpia put a reassuring arm around her shoulders, which Catra leaned into. "I remember what she said to me this morning, that she - she felt bad for hurting me over the game. Not just bad, though, Scorpia." Tears were burning behind her eyes, but she couldn't cry. She wouldn't cry. Not yet. 

"She said she  _ hated _ herself for it." 

With that, the tears streamed down her face, completely out of her control. "I'm such a terrible person, Scorpia. What do I even do?" 

"We can fix this, Wildcat, don't you worry." She spoke firmly and confidently. 

"How can you be so sure she will even want to see me again?" 

"You know Adora. She wouldn't ever give up. And as long as you try, this will be a piece of cake."

Catra smiled. Her face felt stiff with dried tears, but maybe there was hope. 

"What should I do, though? Surely I'd have to do her a massive favour to make up for, well, everything." 

"It doesn't have to be huge, Catra, you just have to listen, and not push her away. If she ever says something that sounds like it hurts,  _ think _ before you get angry with her. I  _ know _ that she loves you."

"Psh,  _ loves _ me? Don't you think that's jumping the gun a little? We aren't even  _ girlfriends _ yet."

Scorpia looked shocked out of her skin. "What?" She exclaimed, "You're telling me that you've already had your first couple argument  _ before  _ you even became a couple? Wow."

It seemed very on brand for her to end up in a situation like this before she even got into a relationship. Plus, the sound of Adora being her girlfriend didn't seem half bad. 

"Do you think she would want to be girlfriends? After I've fixed all this, that is."

"Oh Catra, you don't even know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone say thank you Scorpia 😩💖 she really is the best.  
> I also never put this here before but I do have an art Instagram which is @low.quality.english so if you wanna follow or message me u can go do that >:)


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys will be happy after this one

The whole day Catra spent feeling like she would explode. Maybe there were bigger problems than this. Bigger heartaches than the one she was going through, bigger mistakes than the one she had made, worse pain than she had ever felt. But nothing else mattered. What she and Adora had mattered more, and if she was forced to choose between opening up to Adora and letting herself love, or pushing her away and learning to hate her forever, she easily knew which one she wanted more. 

Scorpia was always the one to hold her and tell her it would all work out, and there was no deed big enough to make up for it. The least she could do now was hold up her promise, and tell Adora exactly how she felt.

This whole time Catra had spent avoiding Adora, the only time they had spoken was yesterday - when everything went from bad to worse. Catra had skipped far too many lessons just to get away from her, and considering how Entrapta had hacked the school system at the beginning of term to ensure they had  _ at least _ one lesson together every day, she had missed a  _ lot _ . Catra just hoped that soon things would go back to normal, before the school had her head. 

In art, they were reviewing people's projects so far. All Catra had done was a photoshoot, but she had made the effort to print and annotate them in her sketchbook, which was already  _ far _ more than what she would usually do. She hadn't dared to look at the pictures since what happened, and opening her sketchbook to see Adora there; Adora looking so unfairly beautiful in the studio lights, only made her want her back more. 

"These are absolutely stunning, Catra!" 

She jumped, her teacher was peering curiously over her shoulder. "The use of the lights makes the whole scene very magical, your model almost looks like a princess!" 

_ Princess _ .

"Heh, yeah, thanks." She was stumped on how to respond, it wasn't often that she received such appreciation for her work. 

"This girl - what's her name? You should definitely do more photoshoots with her in the future."

"It's Adora."

"Well, you and Adora could definitely do great things together! I'm looking forward to seeing how you paint this!" 

Catra gave her teacher a meek smile. She hoped that they would be able to work together again. If there wasn't enough pressure before, the outcome of her talk with Adora would also affect her art project too. 

***

After school, Catra saw Adora with her huge football bag, walking to the gym changing rooms. Picking up her speed, she chased after her, and stood in her path. 

Panting slightly, she spoke, "We need to talk. Again." 

Adora hesitated for a moment, about to argue, before sighing and looking Catra in the eye. "Okay, for real this time."

They both turned and headed round the side of the gym to the bench they sat on just the day before. She could feel her hands shaking with anticipation. Her nerves only got worse seeing Adora there for real. Was she really ready to open up, and would it actually make things better? She feared that it would all be for nothing. That Adora would laugh in her face and call her pathetic. Or weak. But maybe that was just how she felt about herself. 

"So, uh, I guess there's a few things I need to open up about." 

"Yeah?" 

Her eyes looked anywhere but Adora's, in fear that if she stared back, she would freeze.

"I'm sure you, uh, probably already know but, what you said… It did hurt me. It kind of hit just where I'm most insecure, and I hate to feel weak," She half-heartedly laughed, "You're like everything that I'm not, and every fear I had about not being good enough seemed to be true, when you almost said that I was a distraction. I wish I could be better for you, but I guess I'm just me, who fucks up every good thing she has in her life."

"Catra, I'm sorry-" 

"It's not you that needs to apologise, Adora. I did some thinking yesterday, and I just wanted to say that  _ I'm _ sorry. Really. For everything. You were trying to make it up to me, and I just didn't let you try, but then I found out that even after - after how I treated you, you never gave up. Your coach is just - she is just a dick trying to manipulate you, and even if you don't want me anymore… You still deserve love, and you deserve happiness outside of your dumb game."

"My coach  _ was _ a dick."

"Wow, I can't believe you would actually agree with me on that. Wait - what do you mean by  _ was _ ?" 

"She - I think I got her fired."

"What?" Catra exclaimed. This was not something that she had expected to happen, "How did you get her fired?" 

"Just promise you won't be upset?" 

"Uh… Okay?" She didn't understand what there was to be upset about, Coach Weaver getting fired was probably the best news she'd had in a long time. 

"After we had our talk yesterday, I had practice, and since we're closer than ever to the match, Coach Weaver had made a new schedule for me. It was awful, and when I read it, I'm not sure what happened." 

Catra gave Adora a concerned look, and she continued. "It was like there was a weight crushing on my lungs - I couldn't take the pressure anymore. She said it would make me better, and even though it would hurt, it would be worth it in the end. But I could hardly pay attention, I couldn't move, and I couldn't breathe. She was kind enough at least to take me to an empty classroom to calm down, but I-"

Catra cut her off, angry. "You had another panic attack. And she left you  _ alone _ ?" 

"Yeah. But another teacher came in the room and asked what happened, and I didn't hold back. They deemed the schedule so unhealthy that she wasn't safe to be a coach anymore. So she just- I got her fired."

"Don't feel bad, Adora. You wouldn't have been able to survive a week on that schedule."

"Yeah, I know. But doesn't that mean that I'm not good enough?" 

"Fuck her, you're letting her get to your head. You're incredible just as you are, and I'd rather have an Adora that actually has free time to spend with me."

"So, you still want me? 

Adora reached out and held Catra's hands, and Catra continued. "Of  _ course _ I want you, Adora. You made me feel lucky, and for once I actually felt hopeful for the future. I've never felt like that before. Whatever we had, I want it back and I- I want it forever."

"So do I."

Catra didn't want to cry, she thought it would make her weaker, would make her words less powerful, but here she was, holding hands with the girl she wanted, tears rolling down her cheeks, and this time, there was no shame. Adora was crying too, now, and she couldn't help but laugh. 

"We're so stupid, you know."

Adora grinned through her tears, "Yeah, I know." 

"Thank you for talking to me, Catra. You always know how to make everything better."

Catra blushed furiously. She knew this was mostly Scorpia's idea, but it made her happy that she was able to follow it through successfully - but there was still one more thing that she wanted to ask. 

"So, Adora, we've already had our first couple argument, and we aren't even a couple yet. So, if you're okay with it, do you want to make things official?" 

"Official? How so?" Adora's eyes were wide, staring intently at Catra. 

"You're such a  _ dork _ , you know. I'm asking you to be my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend? You're getting even more sappy than I thought was possible." She smiled, "I'm teasing,  _ of course _ I will be your girlfriend."

She sat there for a moment, grinning, before pulling Catra in for a kiss. Catra couldn't quite fathom just how much she'd missed this, and it sent electric sparks all over her body. It was just as incredible as the first - and the second and the third. It would never get old. She was afraid she would jinx it, because for the second time, Adora made Catra feel so lucky, and she couldn't help but marvel at it. In all the ways that she had worried it would go wrong, she had never imagined how it could go so right. 

Catra put her hand to Adora's chest, and held it there. Adora's heart was hers, just hers. For once she finally believed it. It was hers to protect and care for, and she swore that she would never break it again. 

When they pulled away, Adora exclaimed at nothing, "Woo! This is my  _ girlfriend _ , Catra!" 

"That's my name, don't wear it out." 

"Can I kiss you again?" 

"We're  _ girlfriends,  _ Adora, of course you can kiss me again."

This time they pulled each other in impatiently, not wanting to waste a single second away from each other, savouring the feeling for as long as they possibly could. It was so pure and effortless; the closest thing to magic that Catra would ever experience. 

They pulled away, but all Catra could think about was being together again. 

"I love you." Adora murmured, and it caught Catra off guard. 

"You love me?" 

Adora hid her face in her hands, but Catra pulled them away. The expression on Adora's face was too good to hide. 

" _ Dork _ ." She pressed a quick peck on Adora's lips, "I love you too." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO  
> ~anyway~  
> They are girrllffrriieenndss 💖❤️💞  
> Also I love reading all of you guys' comments!! They actually make my day,, like whenever I feel down I just look at them and I'm like 😖😭💞💖❤️💞❤️ hope you guys are doing good!!!!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the bit longer wait between chapters this time! I got a lot of work to finish for the end of the school year but it is my FINAL DAY TOMORROW yaya!!

"So, Catra, has it been fun staring at my face for the last three hours?" 

"Hmm… I think it is  _ tolerable _ ," She retorted. 

That evening Catra had called Adora while she worked on her art project. It provided pretty good entertainment while she painted, and she would take any chance to speak to Adora that she could get.

Catra had been swamped with work for art in the last week, she had been non stop painting for the last three days. Her project was due in just under two weeks, for an exhibition that was going to be held at the end of term. It would show all of the students work that they had done over the four weeks. 

"Tolerable? I'll take it." Even over the phone, she could imagine the smug look on Adora's face.

Truth be told Catra really loved painting Adora, the light shining a sweet honey colour on her hair, the sparkle in her eyes - she couldn't help but fall in love with every part - and  _ yes  _ \- she would rather die than ever say that to Adora's face, but she thought that maybe it would be easier to show her through her painting, instead. 

Catra continued the conversation, "So who's this new coach you mentioned? I hope she isn't as bad as Shadow Weaver." 

"Yeah! Her name is Mara and she just graduated from University, and she's super nice."

She was relieved to hear that, "Oh yeah? Maybe I should come over to practice sometime and check her out."

Adora gasped, "You should! If you're free after school on Thursday, you can come watch!" 

Admittedly, Catra was only kidding, but she wouldn't turn down an offer to watch Adora play - the only thing holding her back the twinge of doubt at the back of her mind. 

"Only if you want me there, though..."

"Of course I want you there! It will be so much better if you are there." 

There was a type of special feeling Catra got when Adora said that. The feeling that someone she liked saying 'I want you here with me. It will be better if you are here.' She tried hard to not just brush over it.  _ Let it sit. _ Adora wanted her there - Adora thought it would be better if she was there. She smiled. 

Thursday rolled around quicker than Catra could prepare herself for. After all - time flies when you have fun - and spending time with Adora was always fun. She wasn't sure what to bring with her to the practice, since she was just watching. Would it be weird to sit there and watch Adora the whole time? Catra sighed to herself as she got to the field - she'd brought her sketchbook just in case - but she wouldn't ever get it out of her bag. 

"Catra!" A familiar voice called her name from across the field. 

"Hey, Adora!" Catra began to walk over, and Adora ran. She was pulled into a tight hug - Adora did have some strong muscles, so what could she expect? But she didn't feel suffocated; Adora was careful. 

"I'm so glad you came! I'm so excited!" She was almost jumping on the spot - with nerves or real excitement, Catra couldn't quite tell. Either way, it warmed her heart to see Adora so happy. Since her new coach came in Catra noticed a difference instantly - she had more of a spring in her step, her cheeks more rosy, and her smile was wider than ever. Not that she was paying that much attention. 

"You look great." It slipped from her mouth, but it wasn't like it was a lie, after all. 

Adora smiled and posed, her thumb and pointer finger in a v shape under a chin. The warm light from the early sunset shone on her face, leaving Catra slightly breathless. 

"Why, thank you."

"Dork."

"We're about to start, you can watch on the benches at the end of the field," She pointed in that direction and took Catra's hand. 

"I can walk, you know," She teased. 

"Yeah, well I want to take you. As my guest - and girlfriend."

"And girlfriend." She repeated. It sounded nice. 

They held hands subtly, Catra only wrapping her fingers around Adora's thumb. 

"You're holding my hand like a baby!" Adora exclaimed. 

"You what?" 

"You're holding onto my thumb like a baby!" Her eyes were sparkling, shining so much Catra swore there were  _ hearts _ in them. 

"Psh, whatever," Catra muttered, but didn't let go. 

"It's because your hands are  _ tiny _ ."

"They  _ are not _ ! My hands are normal sized." 

"I beg to differ." All Adora did was hold her hand tighter; even more lovingly. 

Catra sat down on the bench, and Adora ran to meet up with the rest of her team. In the beginning they did warm ups, which meant lots of laps around the field; every time Adora ran past she would wave, and Catra couldn't hide how flustered it made her. She wondered how Adora had so much energy: from talking to every single team member, to running around the pitch, she really lived up to her tryhard nature. 

Next they played some practice games, which was the most entertaining part - Adora was a center midfielder, so she did most of the running. Catra was aware that the players needed to be fit, but Adora, she was something else. She was shooting across the pitch like it was nothing, making quick foot movements that flashed in the blink of an eye - Catra's eyes could barely keep up, but she couldn't look away. She hadn't noticed how focused she had been, until Adora came running back over for a break. 

"Did you like the view?" Adora said in a snarky tone. 

Catra clamped her once half open jaw shut. "Oh! Aha! Yeah. You were pretty wild out there, Princess."

Adora smiled, and took a few large mouthfuls from her water bottle.

"I could tell. You were watching pretty intently," She said with a smirk. 

"Was not!" Catra lied. She knew there was no point denying it, but then again, why would she admit something that would make her seem so soft? "Okay. Maybe a little, so what?" 

Adora blushed. "I gotta go back on now. It's cute watching you stare." She kissed Catra quickly on the lips before turning around; it was salty and warm, and left Catra wanting more. Adora could be such a tease when she wanted to be. She brushed her fingers where Adora's lips once were, and her heart warmed. Maybe being soft wasn't so bad after all. 

The rest of Adora's practice flew by, and Catra was so entranced that she didn't hear her name being called from the middle of the field. 

"Catra!" 

Her head shot up, and she stared, wide eyed. Adora gestured for her to come over, so she did, albeit nervously. As soon as she got close enough, Adora wrapped her arm around her shoulder. 

"I wanted to introduce you to the team! Since you haven't formally met any of them, and all that - I thought you could - I could introduce them!" She was rambling a bit, out of nerves, Catra supposed. "Some people have already left, but I'm sure you'll see them around." 

A girl with blue hair spoke up, "So, this is the girlfriend you mentioned?" 

"Yeah," Adora said with a smile, "This is Catra." 

Catra gave a quick wave and a forced smile; the awkwardness of the situation explicit. 

Adora gestured towards the blue haired girl. "This is Mermista; and Frosta," a smaller girl who also had blue hair, "Glimmer," Who had short fluffy pink and purple hair, "Spinerella and Netossa," Two older girls who looked like they were also girlfriends, "And finally, Starla and Tallstar."

They all gave Catra enthusiastic smiles and waves, and she could see how they were all friends with Adora. 

"We've heard a lot about you!" Spinerella said, innocently. 

She felt Adora freeze, and looked up to see her blushing furiously. 

Catra laughed, "Oh yeah? Only good things, I hope."

Spinerella was about to speak again, before Adora turned Catra around. 

"Okay! Great practice tonight! See you guys tomorrow, Catra and I are going to, uh - to do girlfriend things! Yes, because that is what girlfriends do!"

"So, your friends have heard about me, huh?" 

Adora pressed her hands over her face, and groaned. 

"Hey, don't cover your face - it's - I think it's cute."

"You do?" 

"Yeah. I trust you only said good things. I am amazing after all," She joked. 

"Of course." Adora smiled. 

"You- you're not supposed to agree!" 

"But you are… I told them that you were a cute artist, and uh, maybe I mentioned that time when you told me you were a lesbian."

"What?" Catra nearly shrieked, "Gods, that was so embarrassing."

"Well I thought it was cute, plus, I was nervous too."

"Useless lesbian," Catra teased, but she knew she wasn't exactly one to talk, especially since she said  _ that.  _

"No, you're the useless-est lesbian."

"That- that isn't even a word!" 

"It is now." 

"You're such a dork."

"I'm  _ your _ dork."

"Yeah," Catra felt herself become breathless. "You're my dork." She leaned in and pressed her lips to Adora's, and they kissed like it was breathing - it was all she needed, especially after Adora's salty tease kiss earlier. 

They were both shocked when they heard cheering from the other side of the field, when they realised that the rest of the team had stayed and watched the entire interaction. She and Adora looked at each other, wide eyed and embarrassed, but happy. 

"Soon they're gonna tell us to get a room," Catra snorted. 

"Get a room!" Yelled Frosta. 

"There it is," Adora smiled. "So, I guess after that, if it was entertaining enough for you - I was wondering if you wanted to come to the final game? It's in a week, at the end of term, plus there'll be a formal celebration afterwards with food and stuff-" 

Catra smiled, "You don't have to sell it to me, dumbass. Of course I'll be there. I'll watch my girlfriend kick ass anytime."

"And what about me? Will I be able to see some of your paintings soon?" 

"Soon enough." Catra was slightly hesitant. She supposed it was only fair, since Adora was her model, and let Catra watch her play. She sighed, "There's going to be an exhibition on the last day of term, you can come and check it out - if you want to see my work."

"I'll be there! I bet your paintings will be incredible." 

"Don't get your hopes too high, princess."

"Too late," She smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got carried away with their dorky dumb-of-ass home-of-sexual conversation at the end, sometimes it's just too fun. I think we have about three chapters left before the end, and Im thinking that for the final chapter I will illustrate it! I'll have to relearn some html to insert the images but I think it would be a nice way to end it. Thank you guys again I LOVE U 💖💞💞 and u can always comment or spam me at @low.quality.english on Instagram, I'm basically always online because I have no life rn


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no update!! Oopsies 😳 do u ever just struggle to even get 500 words? Because same lmao, but I managed to just finish this chapter today 😩

Adora had offered to take Catra clothes shopping for the after party of her game, which  _ actually _ meant that she had no other choice in the matter. She wanted to have matching outfits, since they were together, which Catra had understandably said sounded like chaos. Even so, Adora was stubborn and persuasive and didn't give up until Catra obliged, which was how she ended up in a fancy clothing store after school in a nearby town with her girlfriend, who was totally infatuated with the idea of buying matching clothes. 

Secretly, Catra was happy that Adora was so enthusiastic about little things like this - from the moment they had become girlfriends, Adora had never failed to make Catra feel like she was the most important thing at any given moment, and was always excited about anything they could do together. 

Even though Catra always found clothes shopping stressful, often bombarded with the pushy employees who said they wanted to help, to which she would always respond with  _ I'm just looking _ , which for the most part was true, since she would often end up with only one item from a whole day's worth of browsing. She figured she should reciprocate at least some of Adora's enthusiasm, especially if it meant they would both look good at the party. 

"What about this?" Adora pointed to a flowy floral dress that looked like something one of their school teachers would wear. 

"Absolutely not. Do you want to look like you're wearing your fifty year old teacher's closet?" 

Adora nodded, understandably, "Yeah, you're right. Not that." 

Catra knew this was going to be a long day. Somehow they would have to narrow it down. 

"What colours do you like to wear?" 

"Colours?" Adora scrunched her face up as she thought, "I guess I like red, but I also like blue, and yellow, and gold… I don't think i can narrow it down very much. What colours do you like to wear?"

"Red too, and black." 

"Very… Limited… " 

"What would you know about colour combos? You literally look like the rainbow threw up on you."

Adora looked down at her outfit, which to her surprise,  _ did _ look like the rainbow threw up on it. "Well, sucking at something is the first step to being good at it! But how dare you insult my trainers, they're holographic!" She lifted her foot up and stuck it in Catra's face, moving it around so the colours would shift under the bright shop lights. 

Catra shoved her foot out of her face, and laughed, "My point still stands, the rainbow definitely threw up on them." 

"I'm not going to make you wear them! Unless…" 

"No. I would rather perish." Catra said, in the most comically deadpan voice. 

"Okay! I get it, no holographic outfits."

"I'd also rather be caught dead than wear a dress. So, could we go look at the suits section?" 

Adora was practically jumping in place. "Yes! We can have matching suits! Let's go!" She grabbed Catra by the hand and dragged her to the back of the store, leaving the dresses behind. 

"We don't want to look like we're getting married… Not yet, nor look like we're going to a funeral," Catra was half talking to herself, really, but Adora was picking up on every word, "So I suppose we should dress it down to look more casual-" 

"Get married? Not yet?" Adora interjected, "What?" 

"Huh?" Catra questioned, "I- uh didn't say anything!" 

Adora just smirked, which said more than any words ever could. 

"Shut up." Catra shoved Adora playfully. 

"Hm? I didn't say anything either!" She replied, feigning innocence, "Let's find some suits to wear."

Catra felt her face grow hot, undeniably because of that conversation, and not because of the heat of the store. She tried to forget that she had even said anything, but the fact that Adora  _ heard _ and  _ responded _ made it next to impossible. 

She knew it was important to Adora that they look good for this party, or she wouldn't have made such an effort to go shopping for it, but Catra didn't know what  _ would _ be the right thing. She wasn't even sure that Adora knew what the right thing was either, glancing over her shoulder to see her flicking through another rack of shirts.  _ Where were the pushy shop assistants when you needed them?  _

"What if we start with something basic like-" She reached for a pair of matte black trousers, which were cuffed at the ankles, "Just like this?" 

Adora looked up and smiled, "Yeah, those look nice, but you know I'm  _ much  _ taller than that."

"You're five foot four! That's like average."

Adora gasped, pretending to be severely hurt. "I'm five foot five." She smirked. 

"Whatever! Just take these!" She threw a pair of trousers at Adora that were a size up from the ones she had before. 

"Thanks, shortie."

"I could claw your head off." Catra stated, with no real threat. 

"I love you too!" Adora blew a heart at Catra, who facepalmed, as she went into a changing room. 

When Adora came out, Catra felt her chest flutter. Even though Adora was still wearing her holographic trainers with the fancy trousers, she looked incredible nonetheless. 

"I take back what I said about clawing your head off, I might kiss it instead."

"Really? Do you like them?" 

"You're really going to ask that? You look amazing." She pulled Adora in for a deep kiss, which was probably a slightly too intense for a public space, but neither of the two cared. 

"Now we just have to find a shirt, jacket and shoes. Still a lot of stuff." Adora sighed, but her defeat didn't last long, "Alright store, let's do this!" 

It came as a shock to both of them that the rest of their shopping experience went relatively smoothly. They had tried on a few different options of jacket and shirt combos, which they knew were good, but none were quite what they wanted. 

That was until Adora moved further back and found something that was. Catra heard her name being called from halfway across the store, and was certain that even the people outside heard. She hoped that it was worth the embarrassment of running over to Adora while everyone in the shop was staring, hoping that at last she had found something-

"It's perfect!" Adora exclaimed, shoving the garment into Catra's face. 

"You think this'll be the one?" 

She had a confident expression on her face, "Oh I know so," Quickly, she grabbed a top that Catra had tried on earlier, "Wear it with this."

"Okay, Princess," She teased, before nervously entering the changing room. 

Soon after she heard Adora enter the changing room next door, and once all the clothes were on, she waited for Adora's word. 

"You ready to go, Catra?" 

Catra fiddled with the sleeve of her jacket nervously before sighing, closing her eyes before going out. 

"Ready as I'll ever be." 

They both stepped out at the same time to see themselves together in the wide wall size mirror. 

There were certain clothes that just felt right when you wore them, perfectly fitting at every cuff and hem. Looking at herself and Adora in the changing mirror, she couldn't help but gasp.  _ Damn.  _ Usually Catra would act confident around people, but it was exactly it said on the tin - an  _ act.  _ Yet right now, it definitely wasn't. 

Catra wore the same black cuffed trousers as Adora, with the same blazer jacket, which was made of a red velvet material, the sleeves on them also cuffed. Adora wore hers with a low cut black wrap blouse, and Catra wore hers with a turtleneck crop top with a small circle cutout in the front. 

"We look-" 

"Perfect," Adora finished, "I almost don't want you to change out, I could look at you for  _ hours. _ "

Catra scoffed, "Sappy much? But yeah. You look great too - we both do." 

"I'm so excited!" Adoda whisper yelled, pulling Catra in for another kiss, which lasted even longer than the last. It was a surprise to Catra how they hadn't been kicked out yet, since they kissed after almost every try on. 

"Me too," She sighed, a soft smile forming. 

***

The days passed by quicker than Catra expected. There was only one week before the exhibition for her art project, plus other classes and most importantly her relationship with Adora, her plate was full, and she couldn't believe it was game day already. 

It had been a while since she last had to wake up early on a weekend, but her excitement had kept her up. She'd regretted not picking out an outfit earlier - now she was sat in a pile of clothes, unsure of what to wear, although she knew that Adora would say she looked great no matter what she wore, that didn't stop her from trying to impress her nonetheless. 

After a long while of groaning and sighing from frustration, she settled on the oversized black hoodie with the sword painted on the back and a pair of black ripped jeans. Since it was late November she knew it would be freezing out, so on top of her hoodie she layered a red puffy jacket. From her cupboard, she pulled out a backpack and carefully put her clothes for the after party inside, which she would change into later. 

The air outside was cool and crisp, flushing her cheeks and nose red. She checked her phone as she walked, catching up with the countless messages from Adora, she supposed were sent from a combination of nerves and excitement.

Instead of replying, Catra figured calling would be easier. Clearly Adora was just as eager, picking up before her phone had the chance to ring twice. 

"Hi Catra!" 

"Hey, Adora, you seem excited." The sound of Adora's voice over the phone made her smile, even if she didn't realise it. 

"I am! I can't wait to see you." 

"It hasn't even been a full day since we last saw each other," She sighed. Adora always missed Catra whenever they were apart, no matter how long or short that time was, and was never afraid to say it. 

"I still miss you!" She laughed, "Now say it back."

Catra smiled, and sighed, "Yeah, I missed you too."

"Thanks Catra! Remember I love you!" She dragged out the 'you' for some sort of emphasis. 

"I love you too! I'll be there soon." She waited a second before hanging up, and began to walk faster so there was no chance of her being late. 

Catra was nervous for Adora. Excited and fluttery and amped up, but still nervous nonetheless. She hoped that after all the trouble Adora went through, she would come out the other side feeling fulfilled. Maybe winning wasn't everything, but to Adora it almost was. She tried to focus more on just enjoying the game, but there was something that came with winning that only enjoying the game couldn't bring, which was what made her even more determined to come out on top. It brought out some kind of fire in Adora that Catra hadn't seen anywhere else, and it was incredible to watch. 

This is what made Catra so excited to see Adora play, and as she came up to the school pitch, there she was. Focused, controlled and most definitely confident. She smiled to herself.  _ That's my girl _ . 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little bit of a cliffhanger I guess, next one is the actual game and the party woooo and then,,, the last chapter 😔😔


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Game day!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're so close to the end now aaaHh!! I found out that writing football games is actually super hard so that's why there was such a long wait on this chapter. Also there are probably a ton of inaccuracies in this so i apologise in advance, the only sport i do remotely competitively is ice skating which hardly compares to football kdhs

If Adora was nervous for the game, she definitely didn't show it. Catra could see other players weren't as calm, but Adora was there reassuring and encouraging every one of them. 

It seemed as though nearly the whole school and their families had turned up.  _ No pressure though.  _ The crowd was buzzing, anticipating the beginning of the first half. 

Catra caught Adora's eye as she was getting into her position on the field, and gave her a double thumbs up, and as she would, Adora waved enthusiastically back. Her coach and ref for the game, Mara, sighed and rolled her eyes, but smiled before giving her team one last pep talk. 

This was the first game Catra had actually been to, as she never had any interest in school spirit. Yet now, with her girlfriend as captain, she wanted nothing more than for Bright Moon to win. The team they were playing against were from a school called the Horde, who were 'infamous for bending the rules and getting away with fouls' as Adora had once said. They were a mixed team, unlike the Bright Moon's all girls. Catra glanced over at their opponents and was caught off guard when she saw an uncomfortably familiar face. Mrs Weaver. 

She looked again at her former teacher and then back to Adora, who had obviously just realised the same thing. They made eye contact again for a brief second and for the first time that day, she looked shaken up. Adora, however, was very aware that the game was far more important than any personal problems she had, immediately getting into a ready position for the first whistle, any signs of weakness immediately vanishing. Soon after, the whistle sounded, and the game began. 

Catra was worried that having her old, frankly cruel coach there, and working for the opposing team no less, would affect her performance, but she figured it was only fair to give Adora the benefit of the doubt. After all, she had proved that she could work under pressure countless times, so she could only hope that this time it would be no different. 

After fifteen minutes of game time, the score was still 0-0, and Catra was almost shaking in her seat. Both teams had an equal skill level from what she had observed, which was good on the one hand because it meant that the Horde couldn't score, but it also meant that Bright Moon couldn't score either. She could see that Adora was beginning to get frustrated about twenty minutes in. If her team made one good pass, the Horde would make one good interception. If they made one good tackle, the Horde would make another. The to and fro between the two teams meant that the ball never even made it close to either end of the pitch. All that stood between Bright Moon and a goal was who had the strongest stamina. Yet again, she hoped against hope that the odds were in their favour. 

It wasn't until another ten minutes had passed that the Horde finally slipped up. One of their fastest players, she had learned was known as Double Trouble, was running to keep up with Adora, who was finally coming closer than they'd ever gotten to a goal. Her legs were a blur and her face focused. In the heat of the moment Catra didn't notice another player entering the scene, running in from the right in Adora's direction, catching up, faster and faster until she finally saw what was happening at the last second, when he slammed into Adora with a two footed tackle. It sent Adora to the ground with a devastating thud, her body tumbling over and over across the grass.

The rest of the field became fuzzy, she heard someone yell 'What the fuck, Kyle?!' in the distance, but all she could see was Adora frantically gasping for breath on the ground. From what she could tell it looked as though she was just badly winded, but that was still a horrible thing nonetheless.

She saw Glimmer and Netossa run over quickly to help Adora, as the rest of the players dealt with the foul move. 

When Adora sat up she immediately looked at the crowd to find Catra. Seeing the wide eyed look on Catra's face, she gave a meek smile and mouthed 'I'm okay!" Which she only half believed, but was reassuring nonetheless. Scanning the field, Catra caught a glimpse of Mrs Weaver from the sidelines, and the smirk on her face made her feel sick to her stomach. What the  _ fuck  _ was her problem? 

She truly couldn't understand what they were trying to pull by making such a foul move at the opposing team's best player. It definitely couldn't have been an accident. The player sent off who she now knew was called Kyle was definitely one of their weaker players, it seemed as though they were treating their less strong members as disposable tools in order to win. It seemed unlikely that they would try something like this again though, because losing all their players to red cards would surely make their team much weaker, and she was certain that they would rather do anything other than forfeit. 

_ But they could have gotten Adora out of the game…  _

This was when Catra figured out what kind of sick plan the horde had. With Mrs Weaver as their new coach, the team would know the ins and outs of the bright moon players - who had the best stamina, who was the strongest, who was the fastest - they would have been taught everything by now. They knew that if they took out Adora, it would most likely be over for Bright Moon. That hit would have definitely knocked her confidence, and if they continued to target her, they would definitely be able to score more goals in no time. 

Catra watched as Adora picked herself back up and locked eyes with the opposing center. She could see a spark of determination had lit in her eyes, stronger than it had ever been before. At this point Catra was almost certain that she was going to take The Horde down. 

As soon as the whistle was blown again and the free kick was taken, Adora was off again, skillfully moving, passing to Glimmer, who was the other center. She was a reliable player, one that was unlikely to lose possession of the ball. Similarly to Frosta, she had noticed that although she didn't have the advantage of height, she was definitely a force to be reckoned with. 

At this point there was no room for error, and she lived up to that expectation, narrowly dodging every attempted tackle and defense the Horde players gave. They put up a good fight, but there was only so long they could last before their energy would begin to falter. They moved around the pitch, Glimmer passing to Netossa, who passed to Frosta and then going full circle back to Adora, while also travelling closer and closer to the goal. 

In a matter of minutes, Adora and her team had exhausted at least four Horde players, making their opportunity to score even easier. 

It wasn't long before Adora was face to face with the Horde goalie, and there wasn't a second to waste. Any hesitation would give them time to react but she wouldn't let them have that, it was just one swift move, one kick of the ball and - 

"YES!" 

The people that surrounded Catra in the crowd shot up and cheered, all anticipation that had been building up over the last twenty five minutes finally released. 

She saw Adora jump with excitement, and hugging all her nearby teammates. Then she found herself searching for Catra again, and giving a gleeful wave. 

When the half time whistle blew, the score was 1-1, a frustrating goal scored by the Horde at the last second. It didn't matter though, they were only halfway in, and there was still plenty of time to make a score that was in Bright Moon's favour. 

Catra ran over to meet Adora in her fifteen minute break. There was a buzz of excitement in the locker room, a type of electric feeling she had never experienced anywhere else. 

She was quickly lifted up into a very sweaty hug. 

"Hey Adora!" 

"I hope you saw me score that goal," She stated smugly. 

Catra kissed her forehead, "Of course I did! you totally kicked the Horde's ass with that one, very hot of you."

"Aww, you think I'm hot? That's  _ so _ embarrassing for you!" 

"Shut up and take the compliment, dumbass, and sit down! As much as I love 'give Catra attention time' this is supposed to be 'Adora rest time.'" She jabbed her finger into Adora's chest. 

"Okay, okay! Rest time." 

However, rest time didn't last very long, the quiet chatter of the locker room interrupted when the Bright Moon coach, Mara, came in to speak with Adora.

"Be back in a minute, Catra!" 

"Yeah, be quick, or I might actually start to miss you!" 

She figured that this was normal, since Adora was the captain, they were probably just planning for the second half of the game. 

Catra felt much more out of place in the locker room with Adora gone - she hoped that their talk wouldn't take too long.

After a few drawn out minutes Adora returned, and she looked  _ mad.  _

"Fucking Weaver." Adora cursed, and then Catra realised just why she was so mad. "She thinks she can come back to me and say 'you're distracted, you let yourself get tackled, blah'" She sighed frustratedly, putting on her best Weaver impression. 

"Hey, she isn't your coach anymore remember?" Catra tilted Adora's head so that they were eye to eye, "You don't have to listen to any of the bullshit she says." 

Adora exhaled, "Yeah, you're right. She just loves getting in my head, and sometimes it feels like she really is telling the truth-" 

"But she isn't. She got  _ fired _ , Adora, she was an awful coach, I don't know how in a million years she got accepted at the Horde."

"Probably manipulation," Adora commented. 

"What, and terrible math teaching?" Catra joked. 

Adora's face broke out into a smile again, and Catra felt herself let go of a breath she didn't even know she was holding. 

"And Adora?" She suddenly felt nervous and fluttery, like they were about to kiss again for the first time. 

"Yeah?" 

"No matter what happens in the next half, I just wanted to say -" She faltered, but only for a second, "I'm proud of you okay? And I love you."

"Even if we lose?" 

"Even if you get absolutely destroyed by the Horde - which would never happen - you're worth more than the outcome of this game."

"Have I ever told you that you're the best girlfriend ever?" 

"You haven't, but I'll gladly take that title, Catra the best girlfriend ever." 

"Don't make me call you that every time."

"No promises, princess."

Adora reached for Catra's hand and stood up, "It's nearly time for the second half, best girlfriend! Wish us luck!" 

"With you on Bright Moon's side, I don't think they need luck." 

Adora visibly blushed, her cheeks turning a bright red shade. "Very flattering." 

"Just forty-five more minutes and you'll be winners, I know it." 

She reached for Adora's face and pulled her in for one last kiss before they parted ways. Adora tried to drag it out for longer, pulling Catra back in when she pulled away, until they had no time left. Adora ran out onto the pitch to meet her team, leaving Catra slightly flustered as she walked, dazed, back to the stands where the crowds were sitting. 

The ball dropped and the whistle blew, tensions higher than they ever were, and the game began again. Adora quickly gained possession of the ball and with the help of her teammates they got the ball in position to score, but as the crowds waited with baited breath, the Horde center, known as Prime, intercepted before she could shoot, a chorus of disappointed and frustrated sighs echoed in response. 

He took off at lightning speed, and no matter how hard the Bright Moon team tried, not one player was able to intercept the ball for long enough to get it closer to the other half. She could see Starla and Tallstar putting up a good fight in an attempt to stop them, but it was all in vain. Before they knew it, the Horde had sent a quick shot towards the goal, and Catra was prepared for the worst, but with a quick dive from the Bright Moon goalie, Spinnerella, the ball was stopped in its tracks. Even from her distance away in the crowds, she could see the relief wash over the team. 

There wasn't much time to celebrate, as the ball was kicked off again sending everyone back into action.

Unfortunately for them, the Horde was more determined now than ever, especially with their incredibly close attempt of a goal. Catra knew by now though that they had nothing on the Bright Moon team's stamina, so all they had to do was exhaust them and then scoring would be a piece of cake. 

She knew that it would take some time though, as the adrenaline of the game pushed the Horde to go for longer than they ever would think possible. They pushed through despite their tiredness, and Prime reclaimed the ball, and immediately went to shoot. If there was any weakness worse than bad stamina, it was bad teamwork, but unfortunately for Bright Moon, it worked out in their favour, and the whistle blew, the score now 1-2 for the Horde. 

Catra knew it would be Bright Moon's game now, without good teamwork and players that were growing increasingly more tired as the game continued, they definitely had the upper hand. Unsurprisingly they kept most of their players on Adora, but she was already ahead of them, letting Glimmer take the lead on the ball instead, which caught them off guard. 

Somehow they expected Adora to play like Prime would, even after about seventy minutes of game play. They didn't expect her to let another player take control, and that was another major flaw.  _ Slow learners _ . 

She battled the Horde players for an opening, as they all drifted towards her, leaving Adora undefended.  _ That was her opening _ . Immediately she locked eyes with Adora and somehow the plan was acknowledged without a single word. The ball was passed easily and quickly, before the Horde could react she sent a lightning fast strike to the ball, which then flew to the back of the net. Glimmer nodded smugly, and Adora smiled back. There was no way they were going to lose this now. 

After that, the time flew by faster than anyone could keep track of, soon they went from seventy, to eighty minutes gone, and then the last minute of gameplay had finally come. 

Catra couldn't even breathe from nerves and anticipation. They just needed to score one more goal to come out on top, one more with just one minute remaining. 

At fifty seconds, Bright Moon had possession, and nothing was going to stand in the way of them and the goal. Adora sped forward, wasting not a single second, but the opposing centre took it away with a smug smirk plastered on his face. If he took it far enough down the pitch there may not have been enough time for them to get it back to the goal, so it was vital that they reclaim it as soon as possible. 

At thirty seconds Bright Moon reclaimed the ball. 

Catra could see them setting up for a winning shot, there was an unfaltering determination amongst all the players. They were going to score, and  _ nothing _ was going to stop them. She and the rest of the crowd had long since stood up, the anticipation ricocheted among them. 

At ten seconds, Glimmer was waiting for Adora at the end of the pitch, for that all important pass for the all important goal. 

At five seconds, she passed, and it felt as though time had slowed. The ball travelled directly to Glimmer, who took it, and watched the goalie with a burning gaze. She angled her foot and swung with just the right speed to rebound it right over the goalie's head. He jumped and threw his hand up to stop it, but it continued ahead, straight into the goal.

The noise the crowd made not even a second after was absolutely deafening, and Catra couldn't wait any longer to congratulate everyone. Adora was running to Catra, and Catra was running to Adora, and they flew together like it was the last time they would ever hug again. They kissed, they kissed while Adora cried and Catra smiled, and there was a euphoric feeling in the air. 

"We did it! Is this real? WE DID IT!" 

Catra suddenly felt suffocated, as she was sucked into a whole team hug, with her and Adora in the center. 

"Are they… Usually this… Tight…" She squeaked, but as much as she wanted to hate it, the excitement and pure joy was something she hadn't really felt for a long time. 

Even if it was only for today, being happy was finally the easiest thing in the world. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thEy WON! I wouldn't write all of that just for them to lose!! 💖💕  
> Im also thinking about putting the chapter count up to 20 because this chapter was originally going to be the game and after party, but then i ended up writing nearly 3000 words just for the game... The after party was too good a chapter idea to rush, so I'm probably going to do it separately. But im sure none of you would complain about an extra chapter kfjsk 😏😌


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora comforts catra. They all have a great time at the afterparty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiii ummm long time no see, I guess?! For some reason I started the draft of this chapter MONTHS ago and never finished it. I really didn't want to leave this fic unfinished so I spent the last couple of weeks cleaning it up haha. Anyways, I hope you enjoy :)

Catra and Adora found themselves in the gym toilets not long after the game ended. They were getting changed into their outfits for the after party. She'd heard Adora leave her stall just a few minutes ago, and was probably -definitely- checking herself out in the mirror one last time.

The fact that she was actually invited to a social event like this was an unfamiliar feeling. It felt as though she was living someone else's life. Or perhaps it was just a perfect dream, in which she had conjured up the best girlfriend in the world and there were more than two people who tolerated her; it wouldn't come as a shock if she were to wake up right now and it would be the first day of term again, once again with the feeling of dread of returning-

"Hey, Catra, are you almost done getting changed?"

Adora's voice brought her back into the present moment.

"Yeah, just give me a second!"

The clothes they had bought were still sitting in a pile at her feet. It seemed as though they were taunting her, reinforcing the insecurities about the way her life was unfolding. She shook her head and sighed. It was like a reset. She slipped the shirt on over her head. It still fit just as perfectly as it did when they tried it on together in the changing room, and - to her relief - putting it on hadn't been as bad as she feared, and soon enough she was almost ready to go - but the nerves were still there. 

Catra figured that in this situation she had two options: She could try to mask her fear and end up lashing out, or she could tell Adora now about her concern and potentially spoil the mood. It wasn't like either of the options were particularly appealing, but she had to do something before Adora became even more worried about the time it was taking for her to get changed.

"Do we have to do this?" She murmured, half hoping Adora wouldn't hear, but she did.

"Yeah, I mean- well, unless it'll make you uncomfortable, we can just-"

"No, No, I don't want that" She tripped over her words trying to think of how to say what she meant, "I guess I'm just… Nervous? I haven't been to a party like this in a while. Actually, scratch that. I don't think I have, ever."

Adora's voice grew louder as she walked over to the stall. "Hey, I'm sure you'll do great. You've met everyone there before, and you'll be there with me the whole time. Did- Do you want to come out, or for me to come in?"

For a moment there was silence, then a subtle "Come in… Please."

Catra sat down on the toilet and curled her legs to her chest. She hated how small she felt, but trusted Adora enough to know she would never do anything to take advantage of it.

Adora stood there for a second, before crouching down onto the floor. 

"Hey, look at me." She whispered, and Catra obliged. It took everything she had not to cry right then. "I love you-" Catra pressed her palms into her eyes -  _ of course she loves you. _

She held Catra's hands in her own, and made soothing motions with her thumbs. "You won't do anything wrong today, and I'm not going to leave your side the whole time. That is unless you want me-"

Catra laughed. "No, please stay."

"Okay. I'll stay, and that's a promise."

They kiss again, and it's almost like magic, but it's only quick.

"Are you ready to go?"

Catra looks at Adora for a second, then reaches to pull the hair tie out of her hair, and slides it on her wrist.

" _ Now _ we're ready."

For a second, Adora looks puzzled, but soon returns to a sickeningly sweet smile, and Catra's chest aches with warmth.

_______________________________________

Walking into the school hall with the head of the football team was something Catra never would have expected to happen this school year. The hall was in its usual bare state, except with the addition of tables with party snacks on them. Everyone looked somewhat familiar, it was all football people plus their friends. That was fine, it's just she didn't know any of them very well; clearly Adora was the only jock she'd ever gotten to know more than just the name of. 

There was a consistent beat from the music in the background, and laughter and people holding cups of various drinks. The scene was quite out of her depth. Her heart was noticeably thumping, but she tried to ignore it. If there was one thing Catra wasn't going to do today, it would be spiralling into a pit of anxious thoughts in front of Adora's teammates. Somehow Adora noticed, and responded with a simple squeeze of the hand, and objectively it isn't much, but to Catra, it's all she needed.

They trekked through the hall, greeted with congratulations and other praises, while Catra stood by Adora's side, listening to it all. She learned that Adora was just as dorky as always, even after everything, humbly taking the compliments while laughing sheepishly.  _ Cute _ .

After a while, Adora finally spotted her friends: Glimmer, who'd she'd met previously at practice, and Bow, who from the looks of things, was her boyfriend. They fistbump when they see each other, which she finds hilarious, and the four of them settle down in a corner of the hall. Catra shuffles closer to Adora than she would admit is actually necessary - Glimmer and Bow mirror them.

In some selfish way, Catra much preferred it when it was just the two of them, sharing whispers and jokes that no one else could hear, nor understand. She had to at least try, though, it wasn't like Adora's friends were all that bad. It was quite easy to sit back and listen to their overenthusiastic conversations without being bugged too much.

"Congrats Adora!" Bow almost yelled, "We knew you could do it!" Catra could already see her smiling. 

"Thanks! Also, Bow, this is Catra, Catra, Bow."

She was secretly thankful Adora did the job of introducing her. "Hi!" 

Her voice came out a little high-pitched than she intended. She wished that talking would be easy, something comfortable and natural, but it wasn't. Upon second glance, it didn't seem like anyone had noticed, she let out a small sigh of relief.

"It's great to finally meet you, Catra!" 

"Yeah, I'm sure you already know lots about me from my sappy girlfriend over here," She playfully nudged Adora's arm. 

"Ok! I'm guilty! You know I only do it because I love you." She could see Glimmer fake gagging out the corner of her eye.

"So,  _ Sparkles,  _ are we too sappy for you? What about you and Bow?"

This obviously caught them off guard, Bow choked on his drink and Glimmer's face became noticeably more pink. 

"Ah! Anyways! What I was  _ going" _ she punctuated the word with a glare in Catra's direction, "to say was, as Adora's friends, I think we are obligated to embarrass her in front of you at least one time." Adora tensed for a second, but she knew it was only fair. "Whenever Adora would text you, she always had this huge dorky smile on her face! Bow and I gave you two a ship name before Adora even admitted to us that she liked you."

"Scorpia told me about the ship name," Catra smirked to herself. "Catradora. I've gotta give it to you here, it has a nice ring to it, but I was totally convinced Adora hated me because of it."

"Are you kidding?" Bow whisper-shouted, "Adora could absolutely never hate you, especially after what she said when-"

Adora cleared her throat. "Okay guys! Yes, I had a massive crush on Catra from the moment we met. You don't need to expose me anymore." 

It seemed as though it was too late, however, as Bow and Glimmer were already doubled over in laughter at how flustered they had made her. Adora faceplanted her head into the junction between Catra's neck and shoulder and mumbled something that sounded like "Just dig my grave already." 

Catra lazily ran her fingers through Adora's hair and sighed, "I know the feeling."

Then it was surprisingly calm, the buzz of the party faded into background noise, and it was just the four of them, together in the corner of the room. 

___________________

The rest of the afternoon went down smoothly, questions thrown around easily and mindlessly, and answered the same. She found herself memorising little things about Adora's friends, like how Bow practiced archery and how Glimmer had been friends with him since they were kids. She figured they probably weren't  _ just  _ Adora's anymore either, but hers too. 

An upbeat song started from one of the speakers, and simultaneously their heads perked up.

"YES! It's our song!" Bow shouted excitedly, "Come on, we  _ have _ to dance!"

Catra was caught off guard by the sudden outburst, "What do you mean,  _ your _ song?" 

"Adora will tell you!" Glimmer shouted from a distance. Bow had already dragged her into the crowd of people who were already dancing. 

"You guys can embarrass yourselves, I'll watch."

"No way, you're not being left out." Adora reassures her. She looks away, but lets Adora help her up with no resistance. They lock eyes for a second, and Adora smiles.

"Dance with me?" She asks, and there's no way Catra would ever be able to say no.

"This was the song we were listening to when I came out to them for the first time." Adora began, "They both came out to me afterwards too, I guess it's just kinda special because of that- It's um - not really that deep."

"But it's meaningful to you, and that's what matters." Catra reassured.

When Adora was with her friends, she seemed to not have a care in the world. Catra held her hands as she danced, shyly joining in. It was so bright and comfortable that she hardly felt like herself anymore. The sound of their laughter bubbled out their chests, and she made a mental note in her head to never forget this moment. 

Adora pulled Catra in close, holding her like she never wanted to let go. Catra rested her head there on her shoulder, catching her breath, and they swayed a little, slowing as the song faded out and into the next. Adora's hand trailed through Catra's hair in a repetitive motion, and if they weren't standing, she was sure that she could fall asleep standing in this position. They pulled away for a second, then pressed their lips together, savouring the kiss, when the sound of a person jumping beside them shocked them out of their relaxed state.

"Adora! Your strength is quite unmatched!" They said. Seahawk's voice was hard to miss, "You beat the horde just like I did, when I challenged them to a fight with my BARE FI-"

"Seahawk, you  _ didn't _ win that fight remember? I had to carry you back to my car!" Mermista interrupted, "What he's trying to say is, you did good out there, or whatever. We all did."

"Thank you," Adora bashfully agreed.

"We didn't doubt you guys for a second!"

_ Scorpia _ .

"I didn't know you would be here, Scorpia. It's good to see you." Catra responded.

"Aww, Wildcat! I missed you too!" With incredible ease, she picked Catra up into a hug, and to her own surprise she didn't resist, until it lasted longer than was absolutely necessary. Adora was watching her with her stupid dork smile. "OK, you can put me down now!"

"I came because Perfuma wanted us to go together! It's a big day, after all, and Adora! Hello! I hope you're looking after my Wildcat." This was a Scorpia attempt to be threatening.

"I don't know, you did almost suffocate me in a hug earlier," Catra smirked. Adora playfully shoved her. 

"It was a hug!

"Betrayal! I could have died!"

"You still love me."

Mermista made fake gagging noises as she wandered over to the table of snacks.

"I'm going to get some food or whatever. Are you coming, Seahawk?"

He obliged with his own Seahawk flair, shooting finger guns at them from across the room.

___________________________________

  
  


Another hour had passed, and the energy of the party had begun to die down. They had just finished yet another conversation with some teacher Catra had never met.

Catra nudged Adora's shoulder, "Hey, 'dora, you know you don't have to stay the whole evening if you don't have the energy," No one else seemed to have noticed Adora's enthusiasm depleting more and more after every conversation, and if Catra didn't say anything, she was pretty certain that she would end up staying all evening to avoid the awkwardness of asking to leave early. 

"Yeah, I know, but-" 

"No buts, Princess" she interjected, "Hey, if you're tired you could always uh," Catra hesitated, overcome with the sudden urge to backtrack. 

"You ok?" Her face creased into its regular soft smile, and she took Catra's hand in the same soft way.

"Yeah." she sighed. "You could always come back to my place and… Stay the night?" She didn't mean for it to come out like a question, but it was better than nothing. 

"Like a sleepover?" Catra immediately scanned her face for any signs of rejection, and thankfully, couldn't see any. 

"That sounds great, I didn't bring any other clothes though, you know bringing three outfit changes would probably be a bit overzealous-"

"Hey-" She interjected, "That's no big deal. you've borrowed my hoodie before, and forgot to return it for like, a whole week, so what's one night compared to that?"

"Yeah, I'd like that. Your hoodie was nice, and it smelled like you."

"Oh?" She resisted the urge to tease Adora for being so sappy all the time. "That's cute."

_____________________________

The party was over and it was just Adora and Catra, like it always had been since they met for the first time. They braced against the cold for the walk home. Catra with Adora's hand in hers, she couldn't help but treasure it. Really treasure it. Adora looked at her and smiled. When Adora looked at her like that, she felt special, special in a way no one else had ever made her feel. The spark lit up in her chest, beat under skin, all the way to the tips of her fingers - and in a way, it makes her feel connected to Adora. They were together, and happy, and nothing would ever be able to change that.

"So, what'd you think of the party?" Adora began.

"It… was good," She didn't quite know how to articulate how all the small could mean something so special to her, more special than anything she could spell out in words. What was once strange had now somehow become familiar. "I'm glad you and your friends were there. They were actually kind of… nice?"

" _ Our _ friends," She corrected.  _ Again. _ It was such a small correction, but it was more meaningful than any gesture she'd ever known.

"Yeah, our friends."  _ That sounded nice _ .

The two made their way inside Catra's house at last, sleepy, but happy. Just like the first time she came over, Catra gave Adora her hoodie to wear, but this time it felt different. A good sort of different.

Then Catra took Adora's hand, caressing it, and led her towards the bed. She leapt in, and opened her arms as an invitation for Adora to cuddle. Immediately obliging, Adora snuggled in, resting her head on her chest.

The room grew darker as they lay silently. Catra was comforted by the consistent sound of Adora's breathing, the weight of her arm around her shoulder and the knowledge that she would still be there when she woke up in the morning. She liked the party; but the aftermath was a different kind of feeling, quieter, more intimate and more comforting. Adora's head moved slightly to face Catra's and she mumbled something almost incoherent, but almost certainly an "I love you."

They were together, and everything was good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELL THAT'S IT AT LAST! I didn't really expect anyone to pay attention to this fanfic when I started writing it. I don't really consider myself much of a writer over so thank u guys :)  
> I want to do more writing so if there's any catradora/shera things u wanna see I might consider some. Goodbye and stay safe!  
> Also i forgot to add,, you can follow me on twitter and tumblr @lowsart and Instagram @lows.art <3

**Author's Note:**

> comments are appreciated! Especially as this is my first Catradora fic, constructive criticism is always helpful bahah  
> See u guys in the next update :P


End file.
